ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions
by Master of The Wild Card
Summary: Yuuya Sakaki and Kurai Kurogami, both passionate duelists at heart, are one day dragged into a conflict that transcends the very world they know when the mysterious and enigmatic "Pendulum Summon" is brought into existence. Why did Pendulum Summoning come to be? And what of the existence of three other dimensions alongside their own?
1. Opening 1

_**Action Dueling was born when the generation of matter was implemented into Solid Vision.**_

 _ **Field, Monsters, and duelists become one during these duels, and the crowd goes crazy for them!**_

* * *

 **[Play "LAST TRAIN -Atarashii Asa-" (TV Version) by Knotlamp]**

 _ **(Instrumental)**_

= As the song begins, a pendant can be seen swinging from side to side like a pendulum across a black screen, and after moving back and forth across the screen three times, the title "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Chronicles" appears in glowing print, with the words "Four Dimensions" flashing beneath it.

 _ **Tooku kanata wo miwatashite tanjun ni shikai no semai kotokitsuita.**_  
 _[ Looking out over the great beyond, I've simply noticed how small my field of view is. ]_

= Kurogami Kurai is shown as he walks through various scenes of Maiami City and scans through his deck before stopping in front of the Summoners Duel School, where he is greeted by Ryugu Rena, Hojo Satoko, Furude Rika, Sonozaki Mion, Kururugi Kurogasa, and Sogabe Ryuuji.

 _ **Jibun suteru hou ga raku demo saidaigen taetemitai to omotta.**_  
 _[ It would be easier to just give up on myself, but I wanted to stick it out the best I could. ]_

= Sakaki Yuya is then shown as he also walks through an assortment of locations in Maiami before stopping in front of the You Show Duel School, where he is greeted by Hiragi Yuzu, Gongenzaka Noboru, Shiunin Sora, Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi.

 _ **Kyou ga donna dame na hi demo**_  
 _[ No matter how bad today may be, ]_

= Akaba Reiji is shown as he pushes up his glasses and three portals open from behind him, calling forth _D/D/D Wave King Caesar_ , _D/D/D Gale King Alexander_ , and _D/D/D Flame King Temujin_.

 ** _Wazukana hikari wo_**  
 _[ You just gotta spark up that little bit of light ]_

= A young man with dark green hair is also shown as three more portals appear behind him as well, revealing a trio of silhouetted Monsters.

 _ **Asu wa mata asu no jibun de tomoseba ii.**_  
 _[ Tomorrow, the way you would next time. ]_

= Yuya is then shown standing between two blue pillars of light, which contain _Astromancy Magician_ and _Chronomancy Magician_. A portal then opens in the sky, unleashing _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_.

 ** _Togirenai you ni kienai you ni jibun wo tashikamete kazoe kirenai hodo kizutsuitemo  
_** _[ So that it still goes on, so that it never fades, I'll make certain of myself. ]_ ** _  
_**

= The scene shifts, showing Yuya and Kurai as they face off, with _Astromancy Magician_ , _Chronomancy Magician_ , and _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ battling off various _Nekroz_ Monsters.

 ** _Tashikana ashita ga kuru you ni to negatte hashiru nido tonai kyou wo…  
_** _[ And even if I get hurt more times than I can count, I'll run with my wishes to a sure tomorrow coming through a now-or-never today... ]_

= Just then, _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ charges forward and leaps into the air before firing off its Blue Destruction attack, which is countered by _Odd-Eyes_ unleashing its Spiral Strike Burst. As the two attacks meet, the collision generates an explosion that covers the entire field.

 **Togirenai you ni kienai you ni…**  
 _[ So that it still goes on, so that it never fades... ]_

= Yuya and Kurai are shown standing next to each other in what appears to be outer space, with three silhouettes standing behind Yuya while four stand behind Kurai. The two duelists hold up Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Nekroz of Valkyrus respectively, while the other figures each hold up a card that, together with Yuya and Kurai's cards, give off a radiant light which soon consumes everything.


	2. Scale 1

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 1**

 **The Strongest Evolution of Dueling! Its Name Is Action Duel**

* * *

 _ **Hello again, everyone. I'm back with another Yu-Gi-Oh! story. Standard fare, you know how it is.**_

 _ **Now I'm sure you're all wondering "Wild Card-sama, why are you doing another Yu-Gi-Oh! story? You're already doing GX and ZEXAL". Well I'll be glad to answer that. Simply put, I'm doin this one in particular because I have enough of a buffer to go on and start it even while the series keeps going. Also, as soon as this is put up, I'm putting ZEXAL on hiatus for the time being so I can do this and GX (because let's face it I'm most enthusiastic about GX and ARC-V). Plus as it is, I'm having to micromanage characters in a couple of stories I'm coauthoring alongside The Azure Guardian and Fenikkusumaru, so taking something off the payroll temporarily will do me some good, especially if it's something I need to sort out a bit.**_

 _ **Speaking of Fenikkusumaru, I'd like to thank him for helping out with this chapter, specifically in regards to his character, Kururugi Kurogasa.**_

 _ **Anyways, enjoy the first chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai and Ryugu Rena. Fenikkusumaru owns Kururugi Kurogasa.**_

* * *

A young man of seventeen with short, swept-back light blue hair slowly stirred as he opened his golden eyes, having just awoken from his sleep. After taking a minute for his eyes to adjust to the early morning sunlight pouring into his room, the young man sat up and rubbed his eyes.

After getting up, the teen went through his morning routine, getting dressed in a dark blue long-sleeved coat with a high collar over a plain sleeveless grey shirt, and a pair of black jeans as well as white socks. Several minutes later, after having prepared breakfast for himself and eating, he grabbed a shoulder bag and a small box, which he attached to his belt, as well as another device which he placed in the pocket of his coat, and walked towards the front door where he slipped on a pair of white-and-red runners before heading out and locking the door behind him.

After as few minutes of walking, the young man came to an intersection where he was greeted by the sight of a girl around his age with short light orange hair in an angled cut with long sides and a parted fringe to the left of her forehead. She wore a white dress with a purple bow and sash and a long slit up the middle, complete with a white cap. She also wore thigh-high black socks with brown knee-high boots. Her light blue eyes looked towards the young man as she noticed him approaching.

"Kurai-kun! Good morning!" the girl called out energetically. Kurai smiled as he approached his friend.

"So you're here early again, Rena." Kurai noted as the two began walking together. "You know you can sleep in once in awhile, right?"

"I don't want to make you wait for me though." Rena responded. Kurai chuckled.

"Don't worry about that." he said. "If you're late, I'll just leave you behind." Rena shrunk inwards as she heard her friend's statement.

"Kurai-kun… that's mean! I always wait for you…!" she pouted.

"I'd totally leave you in the dust. Not even a second thought." Kurai added.

"Why are you so cold? Why?" Rena asked as she frowned. Kurai then turned to her and patted her head, much to her surprise.

"I'm kidding. I'd wait for you." he said with a cheeky grin. Rena looked quite relieved to hear his words as a blush crept onto her face.

"O-Oh… Thanks." she muttered.

"I wouldn't leave that spot until you got here." Kurai added.

"Really…? The whole time…?" Rena asked as her face reddened even more. Kurai chuckled. He knew Rena had always been embarrassed when it came to topics like this, and sometimes he just couldn't help but mess with her when the occasion came around. Having come into view of an entrance to a large park after a few minutes of walking, the pair caught sight of someone waiting for them up ahead. The person in question was a girl with a trim figure, large bust, and long, pale green hair to go with her teal eyes. Her bangs parted in the middle while the rest of her hair was tied into a ponytail. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a green tie and yellow, unbuttoned vest. She also wore a long reddish-pink skirt, black socks, and brown shoes.

"Hey! You're late!" the girl called over to the duo. She flashed a smile despite the attempt at a reprimand.

"Hey, Mii-chan!" Rena greeted happily as she ran over to her friend.

"Geez, you're the one who's always late, Mion." Kurai fought the urge to roll his eyes as he joined his friends and they continued to walk.

"Oh, K-chan! It's been ages!" Mion said teasingly as she noticed her male friend. "How long ago was it when I last saw you?"

"I was sick for only two days, you know…" Kurai deadpanned, though he had grown used to his friend's teasing. The three of them had soon begun to start up idle conversation as they headed towards their destination.

* * *

Several minutes later, the trio had arrived in front of a large courtyard that sat in front of a large building. Next to the gate there was a plaque that read: "Summoners Duel School". After making their way inside, the three teens had begun traversing one of the hallways when they suddenly heard a commotion from a nearby classroom.

"Silence! All of you!" Came an authoritative voice. Puzzled by the sudden noise, Kurai and the others walked over to the door that separated them from one of the Junior Youth classrooms.

"Why are you doing this?" Came a younger voice from inside the classroom.

"Why are you expelling us?" Another questioned.

"Expelled?" Mion parroted in shock.

"I don't like the sound of this…" Kurai added as they heard more of the conversation inside.

"In comparison to other schools, our academic scores have hit their lowest point!" Came the first voice, which the three teens began to recognize. "And it happens to be coming from this class! We're second only to LDS, but with our scores the way they are now, that will change quickly! This cannot be allowed to continue! And so, starting tomorrow, the Junior Youth class shall be expelled and removed from this school!"

Having heard enough, Kurai, Rena, and Mion hurriedly opened the door to the classroom, only to be greeted with their suspicions being proved right. Standing at the front of the room, next to the teacher of that same class, Ms. Rumiko Chie, was an older man with bushy black hair and a twisted mustache wearing a blinding purple suit and orange sunglasses over his brown eyes. The three of them immediately recognized the man as Vice Principal Rudolph Heitmann.

"Kurai-san! Rena-san! Mion-san!" Called out another student; a young girl with short blonde hair wearing a green dress. Standing next to her was another young girl with bluish-purple hair styled in a hime-cut wearing a white blouse with a pink ribbon, black skirt, and navy suspenders.

"Satoko? Rika? What's going on here?" Rena asked worriedly.

"What's this about you guys being expelled?" Mion added. Heitmann turned to the door and his demeanor instantly changed to one of endearment upon seeing the second-year Youth students.

"Ah, three of my most promising students within their respective fields!" He said happily.

"Why are you trying to expel these kids?" Kurai questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? We don't need low-scoring students like them here if we want to continue to be one of the most well-known Duel Schools in the city, not excluding LDS, of course."

"Seriously? Just because of a few low test scores?" Mion asked incredulously.

"You don't seem to understand," Heitmann continued. "These simple 'low test scores' have caused our overall standings to plummet. Those that cannot provide the best results are useless here."

"That's not true!" Rena countered. "Nothing in this world is useless!"

"Stop trying to be so righteous!" Heitmann growled. "Don't you see I'm only trying to help this school? Just like how low-Level Monsters are trash, so are these underachievers!" Kurai narrowed his eyes at the Vice Principal before looking towards Rika and Satoko's worried expressions, as well as those of the other children in the classroom. It was then that he made his decision and stepped forward.

"Vice Principal! Duel me!" He announced while pointing at Heitmann.

"What's this all about?" The older man asked in return.

"I'm not going to let my friends in this class down and sit back while you kick them out!" Kurai replied. "If I win, then you'll drop all this stuff about expulsion!" Heitmann growled in annoyance.

"Very well… but if I happen to win, then you'll be expelled along with them." He said as he cracked a malicious smile. Kurai simply clenched his fist.

"Fine, I'll accept your terms." He stated, eliciting surprised gasps from all of the students.

"K-chan, you can't be serious!" Mion spoke up. "You're really going to take that risk?"

"Then again, you would have done the same thing if Kurai-kun wasn't here." Rena pointed out, to which Mion reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Well then, how about we have this duel in front of the whole student body, hm? Just to make it more interesting." Heitmann suggested with a smirk.

"Fine by me." Kurai nodded.

* * *

Only a matter of minutes later, Mion and Rena were seated in the school's dueling arena alongside a number of other second-year Youth students as well as Satoko and Rika.

"Mion? Rena? What's going on? All I know is that an announcement was made to report to the arena right away." A young man's voice asked.

"Eh? You're… Kururugi Kurogasa, right?" Mion asked as they turned to see a young man around the girls' age with chin-length brown hair and icy blue eyes approaching an empty seat next to them.

"Kurai-kun is dueling the Vice Principal because he was threatening to expel all of the younger students." Rena explained as she looked down towards the arena where her friend stood opposite Heitmann.

"Seriously?" Kurogasa sighed irritably. "Well, I hope Kurai wins. I never really liked that old man."

"Now then, are both of you ready?" The principal asked the duelists while standing next to Ms. Rumiko, who both nodded. The principal gave his own nod in return. He then waved up to a man in a room above the arena. Seconds later, a voice echoed through the arena.

"Action Field: On!" Said the man managing the Real Solid Vision system as he pressed a button on the console before him. " _Sunset Stronghold_!" As if on cue, as the Solid Vision system beneath the arena whirred to life, light enveloped the area around the duelists, which soon faded and left them standing inside a large abandoned fortress whose only source of lighting was the setting sun just outside the ruins.

"Duelists locked in battle!" The principal began.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Ms. Rumiko continued.

"They storm through this field!"

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"

"Action..." Both faculty members said at once.

"DUEL!" Kurai and Heitmann shouted in unison as a large sphere of glowing cards burst apart above their heads, scattering those same cards all about the area.

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Heitmann:** 4000

"The challenger has the first move." Heitmann offered.

"Fine then! Boku no tan!" Kurai called out as he began his turn, though as per the rules, did not draw a card. "I Summon _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_!" As he placed the card onto his Duel Disk, a new figure appeared before Kurai; an old man with a long grey beard wearing dark purple robes and armor that were accented in gold. In his right hand the man carried a golden staff with a mirror placed at the center of the object's head.

 **Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz**  
 **LV 4**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Magician/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 1500 ] / DEF 800**

" _Nekroz_?" Kurogasa raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen that archetype before."

Kurai looked over his hand and groaned internally. _'I don't have one yet… This could be a problem. My best bet right now is…'_ And with that, he took off towards the outer portions of the fortress. "Tan endo!"

"He's already looking for an Action Card?" Rena wondered.

"Normally K-chan is able to do _something_ on his first turn." Mion commented, confusing Kurogasa. "He must not have had anything in his hand to start with."

"Already trying to find Action Cards, are we? Well then, let's put a stop to that! Ore no tan! Draw!" Heitmann called out as he began his turn. He then grinned like a madman. "It's here! It's here!" He then plucked a card from his hand while pointing at Kurai's lone sorcerer. "I'll Tribute _your_ _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_!"

"He's Tributing Kurai's Monster?" Satoko gasped.

"And we just learned about this in class too." Rika added. "There are some Monsters that can be Summoned by taking advantage of the other player's Monsters."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Mion remarked.

"What? But how?" Kurai questioned as his Monster vanished and flames began to erupt from around Heitmann.

"Because by doing that, I can Special Summon this card to _your_ field! Come, _Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju_!" Heitmann explained as the flames dancing around him rushed towards the blue-haired boy and grew in size until a new, larger Monster towered over both duelists; a large black dinosaur-like creature with tiny arms and a pair of leathery wings on its back while flames spurted out from its mouth. The new Monster then stared down Heitmann, recognizing Kurai as its controller and thus the one it needed to protect.

 **Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju**  
 **LV 8**  
 **Hono**  
 **Dinosaur/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 3000 ] / DEF 1200**

"What the-!" Kurogasa got out. "A strong Monster on the very first turn! That's crazy! I bet he stacked his Deck!" However, something occurred to him a split second later. "But… why is it on Kurai's field?"

"Given Heitmann's elitist views I'm not all that surprised he's usin g a deck like this…" Mion said with a hint of distaste. "But I've heard about these _Kaiju_ cards. They used to be a set of cards only available in America, but they recently got printed here in Japan. Their whole gimmick is what you just saw; they sacrifice the opponent's Monsters to put those _Kaiju_ on their field, and then…"

"Then what?"

"And next, since my opponent controls a _Kaiju_ Monster, I can Special Summon this card to my field! _Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju_!" Heitmann continued as he placed another card into his Duel Disk, this time calling forth a large, light blue sea turtle with a dark blue shell and pale green horn-like protrusions sticking out from it. It eyed _Dogoran_ menacingly, as if the two were preparing to fight one another.

 **Gamecial, the Sea Turtle Kaiju**  
 **LV 8**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Water/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2200 ] / DEF 3000**

"... They do that." Mion finished. "First they manipulate the field, and then they take advantage of it to play high-Level Monsters like there's no tomorrow."

"Dammit…" Kurai muttered. "But since my _Great Sorcerer_ was Tributed by a card effect, I can add a Magician-Type _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand!" He quickly took out his Deck and searched through the contents before taking out a card and revealing it to his opponent before re-inserting his Deck into his Duel Disk, which auto-shuffled.

"Ritual Monsters?" Kurogasa parroted. "So he uses a Ritual deck."

"That's right!" Rika beamed. "After all, Kurai is the top student of SDS' Ritual courses."

"Wait, really?" Kurogasa gawked.

"Next I'll activate a Field Magic; _Kyoutou Waterfront_!" Heitmann continued as he placed a card into his Field Zone, prompting the scenery around them to change from the ruined fortress to a large empty city street that appeared to be an exact replica of Tokyo. "And next I'll set a card. Tan endo."

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he began his turn. He looked at the card he drew and smirked. 'It's here!' He then took the card and slapped it onto his Duel Disk. "I activate the Ritual Magic Card, _Nekroz Mirror_!"

"Alright! K-chan got what he needed." Mion pumped her fist as a small mirror similar to the one placed on the staff of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ appeared above Kurai's field.

"Using this card, I can Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Monster by either Tributing the Monsters from my hand my field, or by banishing them from the Cemetery!" Kurai explained as the mirror began to glow. He then took the _Great Sorcerer_ from his Cemetery and pocketed it, causing the mirror to glow brighter as four small orbs of light materialized before flying into the glass surface. "I'll banish the one Monster in my Cemetery to perform the Summon!"

 _ **"Sorcerer with the power of the beast! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 4! Nekroz of Unicore!"**_

As the glowing mirror showed a reflection of _Great Sorcerer's_ face, it shattered completely and the area was bathed in azure light. As the bright obscurity faded, a new Monster stood beside _Dogoran_ ; a warrior with silvery white hair who appeared to be a younger version of _Great Sorcerer_ , but now clad in silvery and crimson armor underneath a purple cloak that bore a strong resemblance to _Demon Roar God Beast Unicore_. In his left hand the figure carried a purple-and-gold staff similar to that of its counterpart, but now with a light blue crystal at the tip.

 **Nekroz of Unicore**  
 **LV 4**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Magician/Ritual/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2300 ] / DEF 1000**

"Ah, but since a card was sent from the field to the Cemetery, my Field Magic gets a Kaiju Counter!" Heitmann interjected as a red light at the top of the massive tower in the distance began to brightly blink.

 _ **[Kyoutou Waterfront - KC: 0-1]**_

"And that does what exactly?" Kurai queried.

"You'll find out soon." Heitmann smirked.

"In that case, I'll Summon _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_!" Kurai continued as he slapped another card onto his Duel Disk, calling forth a young woman with dark red hair tied in pigtails wearing a greyish-purple dress with gold trimmings. In her hands she carried a golden staff tipped with a small, sparkling mirror similar to that of _Great Sorcerer_.

 **Dance Princess of the Nekroz**  
 **LV 4**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Magician/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 800**

"Next, _Unicore_ attacks _Gameciel_!" Kurai declared as the armored man flew forward and pointed its staff at the massive Monster.

"I think not!" Heitmann said while wagging his finger. "Trap Card, open! _Kaiju Capture Mission_! This card allows me to change any _Kaiju_ Monster on the field to Defense mode, so long as my Trap has less than three Kaiju Counters. I'll place my own _Gameciel_ into Defense mode!" On cue, the large turtle shrunk inwards slightly, drawing its head and limbs into its shell. In turn, as _Unicore_ struck the defensive Monster, a shock wave threw him back onto the ground while also pushing Kurai to the ground as he ran to avoid harm.

 **Kurai:** 3200  
 **Heitmann:** 4000

"And not only that, but my Trap gains a Kaiju Counter." Heitmann added as a small red orb of light began to orbit his card.

 _ **[Kaiju Capture Mission - KC: 0-1]**_

"Damn!" Kurai mumbled before he caught sight of something up ahead of him on the sidewalk. He picked up speed and slid to grab the card lying on the ground. "Perfect! I activate the Action Magic, _Nanana_!" Kurai immediately placed the newly-acquired card into his Duel Disk. "This increases the ATK of a Monster on my field by 700 until the end of the turn!" As if knowing his intentions, the flames spurting from _Dogoran's_ body and mouth began to grow more intense, signifying his increased power.

 _ **[Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju - ATK: 3000-3700]**_

" _Dogoran_ attacks _Gameciel_!" Kurai commanded as the large Dinosaur-Type Monster reared its head back before throwing it forward and unleashing a stream of flames that shot towards Heitmann's Monster. The attack soon consumed _Gameciel_ , causing it to shatter into pixels.

"Why you… But since two cards have been sent to the Cemetery, my Field Magic gains two more Counters!" Heitmann said as two more lights on the Field's tower began to blink.

 _ **[Kyoutou Waterfront - KC: 1-3]**_

"He's setting up for something." Kurogasa noticed.

"Next, _Dance Princess_ will attack the player directly!" Kurai went on as the young woman raised her staff and fired a bolt of magic that exploded at Heitmann's feet, causing him to jump back in alarm.

 **Kurai:** 3200  
 **Heitmann:** 2400

"Watch the shoes! I just had them shined!"

"Way to go, Kurai-kun!" Rena cheered.

"Yeah! Show this guy you shouldn't mess with our friends!" Mion added.

"I'll Set a card face-down. Tan endo." Kurai concluded whilst _Dogoran's_ power returned to normal.

 ** _[Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju - ATK: 3700-3000]_**

Heitmann growled angrily at the Nekroz duelist. "Unbelievable… in all my years of teaching here, I have never lost a single Life Point in a duel…!" He muttered. "I'll be sure to make up for that by finishing you off quickly! Ore no tan! Draw!" After drawing his next card, the Vice Principal looked at what he had and grinned madly. "Absolutely perfect! I don't even need my Field's effect now! I activate the Magic Card, _Interrupted Kaiju Slumber_! This destroys as many Monster as possible on the field!" Just then, all three of Kurai's Monsters shattered into nothingness. Simultaneously, two more lights blinked to life on the _Waterfront's_ tower, despite the fact that three cards left the field, thus indicating a cap to its Counters.

 _ **[Kyoutou Waterfront - KC: 3-5]**_

"And now, I can Special Summon any two _Kaiju_ Monsters from my Deck to the field, one on each side!" His Deck then stuck out two cards, as if knowing his intentions. The older man greedily took them and played them without hesitation. "Now on your field, I will Summon _Gadarla, the Mystery Dust Kaiju_!"

A windstorm then kicked up around Kurai's field before the winds coalesced into a new form; a massive, multicolored moth with luminous blue wings and deep red eyes that gazed at Heitmann.

"And next to my field, I Special Summon _Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju_!" Heitmann said as dark energy materialized and coalesced into a new, towering figure that stared down _Gadarla_ ; a hulking, black-armored figure who bore many characteristics of a demon, complete with rough edges and wing-like protrusions to its armor.

 **Gadarla, the Mystery Dust Kaiju**  
 **LV 8**  
 **Kaze**  
 **Insect/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2700 ] / DEF 1600**

 **Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju**  
 **LV 7**  
 **Yami**  
 **Demon/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 2500**

"Well that's not good…" Kurogasa muttered. "Kurai's gonna have a hard time now."

"And there's more where that came from!" Heitmann went on. "I activate the effect of my _Radian_! By removing two Kaiju Counters from anywhere on the field, I can Special Summon 1 _Radian Token_ to my field!" On cue, two of the _Waterfront's_ tower lights went out, cueing the arrival, from the skies, of a small Monster who bore many resemblances to _Radian_ himself.

 **[Kyoutou Waterfront - KC: 5-3]**

 **Radian Token**  
 **LV 7**  
 **Yami**  
 **Demon/Token**  
 **ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 0**

"Not good…" Kurai muttered.

"And since my Magic Card forces our _Kaiju_ to battle, I have the advantage! My _Radian_ will attack _Gadarla_!" Heitmann announced as _Radian_ gathered up a ball of purplish energy before launching it at the monstrous moth, obliterating it with ease and generating an explosion that tossed Kurai back.

 _ **[Kyoutou Waterfront - KC: 3-4]**_

 _ **Kurai:**_ 3100  
 **Heitmann:** 2400

"And now my Token attacks you directly!"

On cue, the smaller Monster hurled its own sphere of dark energy at Kurai, the resulting explosion throwing the teen onto his back after rolling several feet backwards while he yelled out in alarm.

 **Kurai:** 300  
 **Heitmann:** 2400

"Kurai-kun!" Rena gasped.

"Oh no, K-chan!" Mion added with worry in her voice.

"Shit…!" Kurogasa gritted. "Kurai better get back in this duel or else those kids are going bye-bye…"

"Trap Card… open…!" Kurai grunter as he pressed the touch screen on his Duel Disk. " _Nekroz Invocation Technique_! If I take battle damage this turn, I can Special Summon a _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my hand or Deck, as long as their ATK doesn't exceed the damage I took! I Special Summon this card from my hand… _Nekroz of Gungnir_!" As Kurai's Trap let off a bluish light, a new figure materialized onto the field from within it; a figure resembling _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ wearing armor that greatly resembled _Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier_ , her red hair spilling out of the helmet that took the place of the dragon's head.

 **Nekroz of Gungnir**  
 **LV 7**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Magician/Ritual/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1700**

"He may have managed to get his ace out, but... even I don't know if Kurai can make it out of this." Satoko commented, clearly worried for her friend even if she wouldn't admit it.

Heitmann laughed triumphantly. "And with that, my victory is within my grasp!" He said. "I'll end my turn there and give you a chance to turn things around."

 _'Damn… I knew the Vice Principal was strong, but I didn't realize he was this strong…'_ Kurai thought to himself. _'But I can't give up here… I can't let my friends down…! I can't let it happen... I_ won't _let it happen!'_

 ** _[ BGM - "Rua's Awakening" from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel 5 ]_**

Kurai slowly stood up and placed his hand above his deck before gripping the top card tightly. "Boku no tan… DRAW!" Having drawn the card with such force, nobody would have noticed the azure glow coming from it right away.

"Huh? This is…" Kurai managed to say.

"What did he get?" Kurogasa wondered as Kurai beheld the glowing card. Just then, something clicked inside Kurai's mind, and he felt a mysterious force stirring from within.

"I activate the Magic Card, _Duel_ , allowing us to draw until we hold six cards!" Kurai announced with a newfound confidence in his voice. As both players obeyed the card's instructions, Kurai looked over his replenished hand. "I activate the Ritual Magic Card, _Nekroz Mirror_! This allows me to Ritual Summon any _Nekroz_ Monster by using the Monsters from my field or hand, or by banishing them from the Cemetery!" He then pocketed the _Dance Princess_ and _Nekroz of Unicore_ from his Cemetery.

"Huh? But…" Rena trailed off as she realized Kurai was banishing two Level 4 Monsters, watching as a total of eight glowing orbs flew into the mirror.

"But when did he…?" Mion questioned.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Kurogasa asked.

"K-chan… he's never had a Level 8 Ritual Monster." Mion explained with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"And that's confusing you why?"

"It's hard to explain, but… I feel something different about the Monster he's trying to Summon." Rena said as she watched the Summoning process with intrigue.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a darkened room at the Leo Corp. building, a number of people sitting at terminals all throughout the room suddenly became alarmed at what their monitors were picking up.

"Sir! We're detecting an unusually strong Summoning signal!" One of the workers informed as he turned towards the back. The man he was addressing, Akaba Reiji, acknowledged the statement with a nod before replying.

"Which one is it?" He asked.

"It's… Ritual, sir!" The employee answered as he checked his monitor once more to confirm his findings.

"Ritual?!" Nakajima, the suited man standing next to Reiji, asked in puzzlement. "Are you sure? But Ritual Summons shouldn't give off _those_ kind of readings!"

"Yes. The signal is definitely coming from a Ritual Summon somewhere in this city, but it's much higher than normal."

Reiji simply looked on at the monitors depicting the detected Summon and began to think over what the cause could be.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a desolate and ruined city, a young man with dark hair with crimson bangs and red eyes lightly gasped as he felt something stir within his very being.

 _'What… was that?'_ He wondered to himself. Unknownst to him, the deck bos at his waist had begun to give off a faint glow.

* * *

In another location, a winding road that showed bright city lights off in the distance, a young man with silvery hair and blue eyes abruptly stopped the motorcycle he was riding as he blinked and looked down at himself.

"That was weird… what was that feeling just now?" He muttered to himself as, going unnoticed by him, a strange glow began to radiate, although briefly, from the deck box at his waist.

* * *

On the shores of an island located somewhere within a foggy ocean landscape, a pair of individuals, a young man and a young woman with dark red hair and deep blue eyes, stopped walking abruptly as they felt something stirring within them. They looked towards each other, finding that both of them shared the same look of confusion as the deck boxes at their waists began to faintly glow.

* * *

 _ **"Ruler of ancient magic! With the inherited arts, at this moment, appear before me and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Reincarnate! Level 8! Nekroz of Valkyrus!"**_

On cue, the mirror reflected the face of _Great Sorcerer_ once again before it shattered, filling the area with a bluish light that, once faded, revealed a new figure standing before Kurai. The Monster in question was a figure that appeared to be a much younger version of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ , but with much longer hair, wearing a midnight blue bodysuit over red armor plating with gold trim, a red sash around his waist, and an exact replica of the _Nekroz_ Mirror attached to his chest. In his right hand the man carried a black staff that was tipped with an ornament that almost made it look like a trident.

 **Nekroz of Valkyrus**  
 **LV 8**  
 **Mizu**  
 **Magician/Ritual/Effect**  
 **ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 1700**

"Nekroz of… Valkyrus?" Rena parroted.

"Whatever it is, let's hope it'll help Kurai win this." Kurogasa commented.

"I activate _Valkyrus'_ effect! **Necro Reinforce!** " Kurai announced. "Once a turn I can Tribute up to two cards from my hand or field to draw that many cards!" _Gadarla_ then vanished from the _Nekroz_ duelist's field. "I Tribute _Gadarla_ to draw a card!" After acquiring his next card, Kurai nodded to himself. "Next, I activate _Gungnir's_ effect! By discarding a _Nekroz_ card, I can destroy 1 card on the field!"

"You can what?!" Heitmann gasped.

Kurai then pointed to _Radian_ as he discarded a copy of _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ \- the very card he had just drawn. " **Dragon Puncture!** " The massive Monster to roar before shattering into pixels as it was impaled by a large spear made of magical energy, courtesy of the female _Nekroz_ Monster.

"Alright! He got rid of Heitmann's _Kaiju_ cards!" Satoko cheered.

"I think he has a chance now." Rika commented with a bright smile.

" _Valkyrus_ attacks your _Radian Token_!" Kurai declared as the new Ritual Monster raised its staff skyward as blue light began to radiate from it. " **Blue Destruction!** " On cue, a single, thin beam of light shot into the sky from the tip of _Valkyrus'_ staff. Moments passed before anything happened, at which point an even larger beam of blue magical energy shot down from the heavens, barreling towards the Token at incredible speeds before hitting its target dead-on and obliterating it in no time flat. The force of the attack also tossed Heitmann back onto the ground.

 **Kurai:** 300  
 **Heitmann:** 2300

" _Gungnir_ , attack the player directly!" Kurai ordered. " **Dragon Magic Burst!** " The female Monster complied by conjuring a pair of magical spheres in either hand before lobbing them at Heitmann, detonating on the ground at either side of him and kicking up more smoke and debris.

 _ **[BGM End]**_

 **Kurai:** 300  
 **Heitmann:** 0

The moment Heitmann's Life Points reached zero, the Solid Vision system shut down, causing the scenery around them to return to that of the school's dueling arena as both duelists gathered their cards and placed them with their decks.

"And the winner is… Kurogami Kurai!" The Principal announced with a hint of surprise as everyone began to cheer for the second-year student.

"No way… Kurai did it!" Satoko got out as Rika, Mion, Kurogasa, and Rena began to cheer as well. Down at the field, Kurai blinked before looking around him, as if he had just realized he was dueling until now, before hearing everyone's applause and smiling as he acknowledged the praise.

"This… can't be happening…" Heitmann slumped as he fell to his knees.

"A deal's a deal, Heitmann." Kurai spoke up as he approached the Vice Principal. "Now call off their expulsions."

Heitmann remained silent for a moment before finally answering.

"I… REFUSE!"

"What?!" Kurai exclaimed.

"That little…!" Mion gasped as she abruptly stood up.

"This school is only for the elite!" Heitmann shouted. "I will not stand by while the low-Level students continue to hold the truly strong ones back!"

"I believe that will be enough, Mr. Heitmann." Spoke the Principal as he stood from his seat as well.

"P-Principal Narukami!" Heitmann gasped as he saw the stern look on his employer's face.

"I simply cannot see how this school can function if we all dropped what we were doing and adopted your ways." The Principal spoke. "I founded this school in order to allow duelists of all types to discover and hone their potential, and that is different for everyone. If you can't understand this, then I'm afraid I have no choice… Gather your things, Rudolph. You're fired."

"WHAT?!" Heitmann gawked. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

"I just did. And if you refuse to leave, I will have you forcefully removed from the premises." Principal Narukami responded, putting even more of a stern demeanor into his words. Heitmann simply stared at the older man wide-eyes before finally sighing and sulking in defeat. A pair of guards then arrived on the arena floor to escort Heitmann to his office to collect his things before leaving, and everyone cheered more as they saw the man they all despised being removed from the school.

Principal Narukami then walked up to Kurai and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Well done, Kurai-kun. I couldn't have asked for anyone else to solve this problem.

"O-Oh, thank you, sir." Kurai replied while smiling lightly as his friends all ran up to him and congratulated him personally. As his friends all surrounded him Kurai simply couldn't help but wonder to himself about what had transpired during the duel, but forced them aside as he enjoyed his victory.

* * *

 _ **Nekroz Invocation Technique  
Normal Trap Card**_  
If you receive battle damage this turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Nekroz" Ritual Monster from your hand or Deck, with ATK less than or equal to the damage you took. (This is treated as a Ritual Summon.) You can only activate 1 "Nekroz Invocation Technique" per turn.

(Top card was created by me.)


	3. Scale 2

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 2**

 **The Mystery Girl, "Naomi"**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai and Ryugu Rena. Fenikkusumaru owns Kururugi Kurogasa.**_

* * *

The day had gone by rather quickly after Kurai's duel with Rudolph Heitmann, with many students complimenting him on the victory.

It was the final class of the day, and while the teacher droned on about Extra Deck theory, Kurai was finding it hard to focus, his mind being constantly filled with thoughts of what had happened that morning. Propping up his textbook on his desk to create a wall, Kurai took out his deck and discreetly looked through his cards until he came to one in particular, one that perplexed him ever since it had appeared.

 _Nekroz of Valkyrus_.

The _Nekroz_ duelist eyed the card thoughtfully, but no matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn't find an answer as to where the card had come from.

' _I don't get it…'_ Kurai thought to himself. ' _One minute I'm dueling Heitmann… and the next I apparently won…'_

' _I can remember drawing on the last turn, but… after that everything is blanking out.'_ Kurai continued. ' _What was that weird feeling though? As soon as I looked at this thing, it was like my body was acting on its own…'_

From her seat next to Kurai, Rena watched her friend as he struggled within himself to determine what had happened.

' _Kurai-kun…'_

* * *

After classes had ended for the day, many of the students began to trickle out from the classroom, with the exceptions being Kurai, his friends, and Kurogasa.

Mion stood from her seat and stretched before turning to her two friends. "Alright you two, it's time for the fun to begin! Satoko and Rika are gonna meet us at the arena." Kurai and Rena both became more enthusiastic as they realized that it was time for their club to meet.

"Ryuuji-san won't be here today, will he?" Rena wondered. "He's sick today if I remember."

"From what I heard, that's the case." Mion answered.

"Well then let's get going." Kurai spoke up as he picked up his bag and turned towards the door.

"Uh… what are you guys going to do at the arena?" Kurogasa asked.

"Club meeting." Mion answered as she headed towards the door to the classroom.

"You can always come along if you're curious." Rena offered.

"I… guess so. I got nothing else to do, to be honest." Kurogasa shrugged. Several minutes of walking later, the group was standing just inside the school's arena, where the two younger girls were waiting for them. Walking further in, they also saw the principal, who was also the club advisor, awaiting.

"Ah good, everyone's here." Principal Narukami greeted the arriving students. "Oh, and Mr. Kururugi is with you? Thinking of joining, are we?"

"I suppose. But I'm kinda going in blind here and I want to know what exactly we're doing."

"That's easy." Rika spoke up. "We're a club that was started by some of the school's top students."

"That's right, and our goal is to make it into the big leagues!" Satoko added with a proud grin.

"We mostly duel and practice to keep ourselves sharp." Kurai clarified.

"I see." Kurogasa pondered. "Going for the big leagues huh?"

"That's right. And the best way to prepare for that is through Action Duels." Rena pointed out. "And besides, since we're the top students, we have to make sure to represent SDS by always working on our Skill Dueling."

"Skill Dueling?" Kurogasa repeated.

"Oh that's right. You just transferred here recently, so you wouldn't know." Principal Narukami mused. "Skill Dueling is the special type of dueling we teach here at SDS. In short, a Skill Duelist is always discovering new and creative ways to summon Monsters, and he uses that to wow and entertain the crowds."

"I see." Kurogasa said. "This sounds… interesting. Can I join?"

"Sure." Mion nodded before she grinned evilly. "But first you need to go through… initiation."

"Initiation…?" Kurogasa gulped, suddenly sweating. "Why do I feel like I just got into something I can't turn back on?"

"Oh relax, we won't do anything to hurt you… yet." Satoko added with a snicker.

"Shoot…" Kurogasa sweat dropped.

"Alright Satoko, be nice." Principal Narukami chided before turning to Kurogasa. "I assure you that they won't do anything humiliating to you… as long as you don't lose. Otherwise you'll have to face a punishment game. An incentive to keep improving. I wouldn't worry too much though; I'm here to make sure nothing goes too out of hand."

"Phew…" Kurogasa sighed in relief, but then paused. "Wait, what?"

"I'll go up to the control room. Let me know when you all are ready." The Principal said before turning to leave.

"So do you have any experience in an Action Duel?" Rika queried.

"To be honest… no." Kurogasa said sheepishly.

"Well… then maybe K-chan should duel you." Mion figured.

"That's true. Kurai-kun is the best out of all of us when it comes to moving around an Action Field." Rena added. Rika and Satoko both nodded.

"Then I guess it's unanimous." Kurai shrugged as he looked towards Kurogasa. "You okay with this?"

"Yeah. Let's do this." Kurogasa nodded. Kurai then waved up to the Principal in the control room as he and Kurogasa took opposing positions on the arena floor and activated their Duel Disks.

"Action Field: On!" Principal Narukami called out as he activated the Real Solid Vision system. " _Mountain_!" Soon enough, the arena had changed its scenery to match that of the Field Magic of the same name.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Rena recited.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Mion continued.

"They storm through this field!" Rika went on.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" Satoko called out.

"Action..." The four girls said at once.

"DUEL!"

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Kurogasa:** 4000

"Alright. I'll start." Kurogasa said as he looked at his hand. "I summon _Musto, Priest of Gusta_!" Appearing on Kurogasa's field was a young man with long green hair and goatee wearing a hooded cloak colored in an array of browns. In his hand the man Monster carried a staff that appeared to be fashioned from tree roots.

 **Musto, Priest of Gusta  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 900**

"Then I'll place a card face-down and call it a turn." Kurogasa concluded.

' _Maybe this duel can help me figure out some things about that card…'_ Kurai wondered to himself. Nodding to himself, he drew out his sixth card. "Boku no tan! Draw!" Looking over his hand, the _Nekroz_ duelist made his move. "I'll start by discarding _Nekroz of Clausolas_ from my hand to activate its effect! By doing so, I can add 1 _Nekroz_ Magic or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand!" Kurai's deck auto-shuffled as if knowing what card he wanted, which it stuck out at the top. He then took it and revealed it to his opponent.

"I'll add _Nekroz Mirror_ to my hand, which I'll then activate!" The blue-and-gold mirror depicted on the card's artwork then materialized above Kurai's field as he continued. "Using this, I can Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Monster by Tributing the cards from my hand or field, or by banishing them from my Cemetery!" Kurai then held up a single card from his hand. "I'll Tribute _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_ from my hand!" After sliding the card into his Cemetery, three small orbs of light formed from thin air and flew into the glassy surface of the floating mirror.

" _ **Sorcerer's child with mastery over the sky! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 3! Nekroz of Clausolas!"**_

Appearing within the reflection of the _Nekroz Mirror_ was a young preteen boy with dark red hair with silver bangs, and a pair of heterochromic eyes, one dark red and the other bright green. After the mirror shattered, a new figure emerged from within the resulting flash; a figure exactly identical to _Schritt_ , but now wearing armor that almost entirely evoked the appearance of _Mist Bird Clausolas_.

 **Nekroz of Clausolas  
LV 3  
Mizu  
Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
ATK 1200 / DEF [ 2300 ]**

" _Schritt's_ effect activates since he was Tributed by a card effect!" Kurai added. "I can add a Warrior-Type _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand!" Kurai then looked through his deck before taking out a card, revealing it to be _Nekroz of Brionac_ , and shuffling his deck. "I'll Set a card face-down. Tan endo." And with that, Kurai ran off towards a nearby pathway that led up the mountain.

"Going for an Action Card already huh?" Kurogasa mused. "Ore no tan!" He drew his next card. "I'll place this card face-down in DEF mode!" He said, placing the card down horizontally. After that, he started running to find an Action Card as well. After a few seconds, he found one lodged in between two rocks and jumped forward to take the card. "Awesome! I activate the Action Card, _Flight_! It'll give Musto an extra 600 ATK this turn!"

 _ **[Musto, Priest of Gusta - ATK: 1800-2400]**_

"Now I can have _Musto_ attack _Nekroz of Clausolas_!" Kurogasa commanded. Musto then began to chant a spell before waving his staff outwards and unleashing a gust of leaf-laced winds.

"I activate the effect of _Nekroz of Gungnir_ in my hand!" Kurai countered as he discarded one of the Ritual Monsters in his hand. "By discarding _Gungnir_ , I can prevent one of my _Nekroz_ Monsters from being destroyed by battle or a card effect for the rest of the turn!" Just then, the armored woman descended onto the field before releasing a magical barrier that protected both her and _Clausolas_ just as _Musto's_ spell reached them.

"Then I'll have to end my turn there." Kurogasa frowned. "At this time, _Flight's_ effect ends and _Musto's_ ATK returns to normal."

 _ **[Musto, Priest of Gusta - ATK: 2400-1800]**_

"Kurai-kun's _Nekroz_ Monsters are powerful as always." Rena commented.

"That's right." Mion added. "Since all of them have two effects that apply depending on where they are, they're never dead cards."

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he began his turn, turning to face Kurogasa and halting his search for Action Cards momentarily. He looked at his new card and nodded. "Alright, time to show off how a Skill Duelist works his magic! I activate the Ritual Magic Card, _Reincarnation Technique of the Nekroz_! This lets me Tribute Monsters from my hand or field in order to Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Monster from my hand _or_ Cemetery!"

"Eh?! From the Cemetery?!" Kurogasa repeated. Kurai then slid two cards into his Cemetery slot.

"I'll Tribute _Ritual Genie Presider_ and _Ritual Genie Demolisher_!" He announced. Two Monsters then materialized on the field, though only briefly; both were fat demonic creatures, but one had bright red skin and carried a large battle axe while the other had pale green skin and carried a thin, rapier-like sword and a shield. After they vanished once more from the field, seven small orbs of light entered into the newly-formed flashing jewel that hovered above the _Nekroz_ duelist.

" _ **Sorceress with the might of the dragon! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Necroid Ritual! Emerge! Level 7! Nekroz of Gungnir!"**_

As the glowing jewel shattered into fragments, the red-haired woman clad in draconic armor appeared once again.

 **Nekroz of Gungnir  
LV 7  
Mizu  
Magician/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1700**

"Reveal facedown!" Kurogasa countered revealing the said card. " _Pitfall of Naraku_! Now your _Gungnir_ gets removed from play after I negate its' Summon!"

"Rule number one of the club; do whatever it takes to stay ahead! Trap Card, open!" Kurai countered. " _Decree of the Royal Palace_! All other Trap effects are negated!"

"Alright! He managed to keep his ace around!" Mion cheered.

"Aw man, not good…" Kurogasa groaned.

"Since I used _Presider_ and _Demolisher_ for _Gungnir's_ Ritual Summon, she now has two additional effects." Kurai explained as apparitions of the two demons seemed to meld with _Gungnir's_ form. "Firstly, _Presider_ allows me to draw a card each time _Gungnir_ destroys a Monster in battle, and then _Demolisher_ prevents you from targeting _Gungnir_ with effects." Kurai then pointed to Kurogasa's _Priest_. "And now _Gungnir_ will attack _Musto_! **Dragon Magic Burst!** " On command, the armored woman conjured a pair of magical spheres before lobbing them at Kurogasa's Monster, one she threw by hand and the other she swatted forward with her staff. The attack hit dead-on, blasting _Musto_ away within seconds. Afterwards, Kurai drew another card as per the effect of _Presider_.

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Kurogasa:** 4000-3300

"Tan endo." Kurai concluded.

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Kurogasa said, drawing his next card. "I play _Pot of Greed_ to draw two extra cards!" He drew two and his hand was now at five. "Next I play the Magic Card, _Shield Crush_ to destroy my facedown Monster!"

"Huh?" the spectators questioned quietly.

"Interesting move…" Kurai muttered as the reversed card on Kurogasa's field shattered into nothing.

"The card I destroyed was _Gusta Skwirl_ and if it's destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon a level 5 or higher _Gusta_ Monster from my Deck and I Special Summon _Windaar, Sage of Gusta_!"

The next Monster to appear was a tall man with dark green hair and wearing a hooded cloak colored in various colors one would find in the forest; an array of greens and browns, along with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath. Gripped in both his hands, the young man carried a scythe that appeared to be tailored for combat.

 **Windaar, Sage of Gusta  
LV 6  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 2000 ] / DEF 1000**

"But I'm not through yet! I Normal Summon _Gusta Egul_!" Kurogasa continued. At that point, a green feathered eagle-like creature appeared.

 **Gusta Egul  
LV 1  
Kaze  
Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 200 ] / DEF 400**

"A Tuner Monster…" Kurai noted. "I see what you're up to now…"

"Now I tune my Level 1 _Gusta Egul_ with my Level 6 _Windaar, Sage of Gusta_!" He declared. _Windaar_ and _Egul_ both flew into the air as the green bird transformed into a single greenish ring and _Windaar_ broke apart into six bluish-white stars that lined up perfectly within the ring that was once _Egul_.

" _ **To calm the storm of oppression, the wind of freedom now blows! Synchro Summon! Take flight! Level 7! Daigusta Eguls!"**_

Appearing from within a column of light was what appeared to be a much larger, more mature version of _Gusta Egul_ , and riding on its back was none other than _Windaar_ himself.

 **Daigusta Eguls  
LV 7  
Kaze  
Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2600 ] / DEF 1800**

"Now I activate _Contact with Gusta_! This lets me shuffle two _Gusta_ Monsters back into my Deck and destroy one card on your side of the field! I return _Windaar_ and _Skwirl_ back to my Deck and I choose that facedown of yours to destroy!"

"Damn…" Kurai muttered as his facedown shattered.

"Now I play _Resurrection of the Dead_ to bring back _Musto, Priest of Gusta_!" The said priest returned to the field. "Battle! _Daigusta Eguls_ attacks _Nekroz of Gungnir_!"

"I'd reconsider that!" Kurai retorted as he pointed to _Clausolas_. "I activate _Nekroz of Clausolas'_ effect! During either turn I can choose a Monster on the field that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck and reduce its ATK to 0 and then negate its effects!"

"WHAT?!" Kurogasa gasped as the armor-clad teen cast a spell on the bird and its rider, debilitating their strength considerably.

 _ **[Daigusta Eguls - ATK: 2600-0]**_

 _Clausolas_ then flew forward at breakneck speeds, taking out his sword and thrusting it through the chest of the large bird before removing it and flying up to strike down the rider as well. Both beast and master fell to the ground and shattered into Solid Vision fragments mid-fall. As a result, Kurai was also able to draw another card due to the effect of _Presider_.

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Kurogasa:** 3300-800

"I… I…" Kurogasa got out. "I… end my turn."

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he drew his next card. His body tensed as he saw the card he had drawn and something stirred within his chest for a brief moment.

 _Nekroz of Valkyrus_.

' _This is…'_

"Is something wrong with Kurai?" Rika asked nobody in particular.

"Now that you mention it, he froze up after he started his turn." Mion added with a hint of concern.

"Kurai? You… okay?" Kurogasa asked, still trying to get out of his shock of being completely overwhelmed.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" Kurai answered half-heartedly. He shook his head and continued with his turn. "I switch _Clausolas_ to Attack mode. And then I'll attack _Musto_ with _Gungnir_!" As _Clausolas_ got into an offensive stance, _Gungnir_ flew forward and into the air while priming a pair of magic spheres to lob at the enemy. " **Dragon Magic Burst!** " On command, the armored woman lobbed her projectiles at the priest, consuming him in an explosion of magic in the process.

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Kurogasa:** 800-100

"And next _Clausolas_ attacks the player directly!" Kurai added as the armored teen jumped into the air and swung his sword, creating a gust of wind that threw Kurogasa onto his back.

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Kurogasa:** 100-0

Once Kurogasa's Life Points reached 0, the Action Field around them dissipated and Kurai looked down at the cards in his hand while lost in thought.

"Ow… really not what I had in mind for an initiation…" Kurogasa groaned as he slowly got up. "Never thought I'd get beaten so soundly… seriously…"

' _What's going on here…?'_ Kurai wondered to himself. ' _Why did I have that feeling again…? The minute I drew that card, it's like something was pushing me to Summon it. I don't get this at all._ '

"Alright, Kurai-san won!" Satoko spoke up as the girls walked down to the arena floor.

"But still, not bad for someone who lost in their first Action Duel." Mion added. "And against one of the top students too."

"But it was a complete defeat for Kurogasa though." Rika added. "And he's kinda not looking happy."

"He'll be fine." Satoko waved off.

"Alright, you're in." Mion announced as she pointed to Kurogasa. "And since this was your initiation… we'll go easy on you and withhold the punishment game."

"Really? No strings attached even though I had a complete loss?" Kurogasa raised an eyebrow.

"Not this time. Just make sure you don't lose again if you wanna keep that up." Mion grinned evilly.

"Oh gee… thanks..." Kurogasa sweat dropped.

"Welcome to the club." Rena beamed. The others also voiced their acceptance of the _Gusta_ duelist into their ranks.

* * *

Later after the meeting had ended, everyone was walking out from the school gates to head home.

"Hey K-chan, we should do something to celebrate your victory against Heitmann today." Mion spoke up.

"Yeah, we should do something tomorrow since it's Sunday." Rena added.

"Sure, if I'm free." Kurai responded.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Mion pouted. "You've got two girls practically asking you out and you respond like that?!"

"If I'm free." Kurai smirked, earning a look of annoyance from Mion.

"So you're busy tomorrow?" Rena asked her friend.

"No, I can definitely come along. In fact, the two of us can go somewhere by ourselves." Kurai said while smirking towards an annoyed Mion.

"Hey! I'm the one that thought of it!" She interjected.

Just then, the group minus one stopped as someone that had been walking by suddenly stopped a few feet from them while looking towards Kurai with a look of surprise and recognition. Then, before anyone could react, she hurried forward and hugged the _Nekroz_ duelist tightly.

"I'm so glad you're safe…" she said while everyone present stood there too stunned to say anything. "For a while there I was worried we'd never find each other."

"H-Hey…" Kurai managed to say.

"Uh… Kurai, who is that?" Kurogasa asked.

"Uh…" Kurai said before he looked to the mystery girl that suddenly approached him. "Who… are you?"

"Eh?" She responded as she broke the sudden hug and looked to Kurai. "Kazuma what are… you…" Just then her face dawned with a sudden realization. "Eek!" And with that, she pushed the _Nekroz_ duelist to the ground.

"Ow..." Kurai grunted as he recovered from the sudden action. "C'mon, what's the big idea?! You're the one that just came up to me out of nowhere!"

"S-Sorry… I thought you were someone else..." The mystery girl replied while looking away nervously. After standing up, Kurai got a better look at the one who had approached him. She was a girl around his age with long, wavy dark red hair tied into a twintails style and azure-colored eyes. She wore a sleeveless white vest with yellow trimming and pockets on each side, a black sleeveless tank top, yellow cargo skirt, and dark brown calf-length boots.

"That's no excuse to just suddenly hug someone like that." Mion said with her arms folded and an eyebrow raised. "Just who the heck are you?" It was then that she and everyone else got a good look at the girl's face, and each of them was shocked at what they found. "Huh? She…"

' _She… has the same face as me?'_ Kurai thought to himself as he saw the girl's facial structure, which did in fact look almost identical to his own.

"Are you two twins or something?" Kurogasa looked between Kurai and the girl.

"No… I'm an only child." Kurai answered before turning to the red-haired girl.. "Just who are you?"

"My name is Naomi." She answered. "Again, sorry about before… You just looked like someone I know."

"It's… It's fine." Kurai replied hesitantly, still trying to understand what was happening. "I was just surprised, is all."

"Who are you looking for exactly?" Rena queried.

"My brother." Naomi answered. "We got… separated, so I've been trying to look for him ever since."

"Separated?" Rika repeated.

"That's right. I was looking for him when I got this weird feeling that led me this way." Naomi continued as she turned to Kurai. "And when I saw you I mistook you for my brother, and… you know the rest."

"I see." Kurogasa said. "Do you remember where you last saw him?"

"That… leads into another story for later." Naomi answered, clearly dodging something. "But I think I have an idea of how to get his attention."

"And how exactly are you gonna do that?" Satoko raised an eyebrow.

"This is gonna sound weird, but if I duel, then he should be able to tell where I am." She answered.

"A duel?" Rena repeated.

"It's a long story." Naomi answered before turning to Kurai. "And I'm not sure why, but I have this feeling that I should duel you."

"Me?"

"It's hard to explain, but… Is it okay with you?"

"I don't have any problems, I guess." Kurai answered. "But let's find somewhere to duel first."

"Central Park is just down the street. Maybe there?" Satoko suggested. Kurai nodded and the group minus one headed to their destination.

* * *

Several minutes later, the group had arrived at the large park before finding a small clearing where Kurai and Naomi stood facing each other.

"Are you ready?" Kurai asked. Naomi nodded. "Alright then, let's see if this works like you hope it will." Both players then activated their Duel Disks and drew their opening hands.

"DUEL!"

 **Kurai:** 4000  
 **Naomi:** 4000

"I'll go first! Atashi no tan!" Naomi said as she began her turn. "I'll Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_!" As she slapped the card onto her Duel Disk, an old man with long silver hair clad in green and tan garb, and greatly resembled _Kamui, Hope of Gusta_.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Elder  
LV 2  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 200 ] / DEF 1000**

"Next I activate _Elder's_ effect!" Naomi continued. "I can Normal Summon a _Spiritual Beast_ Monster! I Summon _Spiritual Beast Kannahawk_!" On cue, a black bird with yellow lightning bolt-shaped patterns on its feathers soared onto the field, with electricity coursing around its form.

 **Spiritual Beast Kannahawk  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Thunder/Effect  
ATK [ 1400 ] / DEF 600**

"And next I'll fuse my Monsters together by banishing them!" Naomi declared as her Monsters began to let off an emerald light before flying into the air and towards a large vortex in the sky.

" _ **Rider of hope's winds! Bird of striking thunder! Combine your powers from within the void and create a greater force! Contact Fusion! Level 6! Come! Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk!"**_

As both Monsters flew into the vortex, a flash of light caused it to dissipate and give rise to a new Monster; a larger, more mature form of _Spiritual Beast Kannahawk_ , but with luminous crimson eyes and lightning fiercely crackling around its form. Riding on its back was none other than _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_.

 **Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk  
LV 6  
Kaze  
Thunder/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 1400 ] / DEF 1600**

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Leo Corp. building, Akaba Reiji sat once again in the large monitor-filled room just as something was picked up by the devices.

"Sir! We're detecting very large amounts of Fusion energy coming from Central Park!" One of the Leo Corp. employees spoke up.

"Pull up the footage from the cameras in the area." Reiji ordered after a moment of thought. On cue, several smaller screens popped up on the monitor, showing various locations in the large park. Focusing on one of them, everyone in the room saw Kurai and Naomi dueling.

"That's… Kurogami Kurai." Said a voice next to Reiji. The grey-haired boy turned to the one standing next to him; a boy his age with teal eyes and dark green hair that spiked out at the back, and in twin spikes similar to horns in addition to two ponytails bound with white rings. He wore a black sleeveless trench coat with a golden border, a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his elbows, lavender pants, and simple black runners.

"You know him?" Reiji asked.

"He's in the same class as me at SDS." the green-haired man explained. "He's at the top of its Ritual course. I don't know the girl though."

"Interesting." Reiji muttered to himself.

* * *

"Wait, how can she Fusion Summon without playing a _Fusion_ card?" Satoko challenged.

"They must be similar to the _Gladial Beast_ series since they can also Fusion Summon without a _Fusion_ card." Mion noted.

"She called it 'Contact Fusion'." Rika added. "Is that how the _Gladial Beast_ series Fusion Summons?"

"That's right. Though most people that use them call it Tag Fusion." Mion explained as she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow in confusion while looking at the Monster on Naomi's field. "But that's strange…"

"What is, Mii-chan?" Rena asked.

"I'm the leading student in the Fusion course at our school, but I've never heard of this series of cards before…" Mion remarked.

"How is it strange?" Kurogasa asked.

"The top students of each course in our school, just like at LDS, are kept up-to-date on all the current decks that use their focused Summoning Method." Rika pointed out. "So it's very unlikely for Mii to not hear about it. Same goes for Rena with Synchros, Kurai with Rituals, and myself with Xyz."

"It's surprising to know that there are cards that not even Mii-chan knows about." Rena commented.

"I'll set a card face-down, Tan endo." Naomi concluded.

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out while drawing his next card. "I activate the Magic Card, _Nekroz Mirror_! This lets me Ritual Summon by Tributing the Monsters from my hand or field or by banishing them from the Cemetery!" Kurai then held up a single Monster card in his hand; _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_. "When I use _Schritt_ to Ritual Summon exactly one Monster, I can use him as the entire requirement!" As the ceremonial mirror formed on Kurai's field, a total of six bluish orbs of light appeared before flying into the reflective surface.

"Kurai-san is going for a big hit already?" Satoko wondered aloud, noting her older friend was Ritual Summoning a Level 6 Monster.

" _ **Young spellcaster with the rage of the dragon! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 6! Nekroz of Brionac!"**_

As _Schritt's_ face was reflected in the mirror before it shattered, a new Monster rose up from within a flash of azure light; a more adolescent _Schritt_ outfitted in armor that bore a strong resemblance to _Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier_.

 **Nekroz of Brionac  
LV 6  
Mizu  
Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2300 ] / DEF 1400**

" _Schritt's_ effect activates in the Cemetery!" Kurai informed. "Since he was Tributed by a card effect, I can add a Warrior-type _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand!" Kurai then sifted through his Deck before taking out _Nekroz of Clausolas_ , revealing it to Naomi, and putting his Deck back for the Duel Disk's auto-shuffle feature to kick in.

"I activate _Brionac's_ effect!" Kurai announced. "I can target up to two Monsters on the field that were Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, and shuffle them into the Deck!"

"I activate _Kannahawk's_ effect in response!" Naomi countered. "During any turn I can return my Monster to the Extra Deck and Special Summon 2 of my banished Monsters!"

"Wait, banished? But she doesn't have any…" Mion trailed off as her eyes widened. "Her type of Fusion _banishes_ the materials?!"

"And it looks like she can return the Fusion Monsters to her Extra Deck to bring them back whenever she wants." Rena added.

"If she can do that, how can Kurai-san hope to do any damage?" Satoko asked. "Most of his cards are focused on disrupting Monsters summoned from the Extra Deck!"

"That's right, so anytime he tries to do something, she can remove her Monster from the field to avoid the effect." Rika added.

"By returning _Kannahawk_ to the Extra Deck, I'll Special Summon the _Elder_ and _Kannahawk_ that I banished previously!" Naomi announced as the smaller Monsters returned to the field in Defense mode.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Elder  
LV 2  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 200 / DEF [ 1000 ]**

 **Spiritual Beast Kannahawk  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Thunder/Effect  
ATK 1400 / DEF [ 600 ]**

"Tch… Then I'll have _Brionac_ attack _Elder_!" Kurai declared as the armored teen charged forward and thrust his sword through the old man, making him shatter into Solid Vision fragments. "I'll set a card face-down. Tan endo."

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Naomi called out as she drew her next card. "I Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_!" On cue, a second copy of the elderly man appeared on Naomi's field.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Elder  
LV 2  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 200 ] / DEF 1000**

"And now his effect activates!" She continued. "I can Normal Summon a _Spirit Beast_ or _Spiritual Beast_ Monster a second time this turn! And I choose to Summon _Spiritual Beast Apelio_!" Appearing next on the Spirit Beast duelist's field was a fully-grown lion with deep crimson fur and a fiery orange mane with golden markings on the sides of its legs. The lion roared proudly as it stood alongside its comrades.

 **Spiritual Beast Apelio  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Fire/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 200**

"I activate _Kannahawk's_ effect!" Naomi declared. "I can banish a _Spirit Beast_ or _Spiritual Beast_ card from my Deck, and after two of my Standby Phases have passed, I can add that card to my hand!" A card then stuck out from her Deck before she pocketed it. "Next, I activate _Apelio's_ effect! I can banish a _Spirit Beast_ or _Spiritual Beast_ card from my Cemetery to have my Monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF for the rest of this turn!" After having banished the _Elder_ in her Cemetery, _Apelio_ let out a roar that caused its mane to blaze up, the light it gave off bolstering its allies' power.

 _ **[Spiritual Beast Kannahawk - ATK: 1400-1900 / DEF: 600-1100]  
[Spiritual Beast Apelio - ATK: 1800-2300 / DEF: 200-700]  
[Spirit Beast Tamer Elder - ATK: 200-700 / DEF: 1000-1500]**_

"Next I'll fuse my _Elder_ and _Apelio_!" Naomi continued as her two Monsters flew into the air as a vortex opened in the sky.

" _ **Rider of hope's winds! Beast of burning flames! Combine your powers from within the void and create a greater force! Contact Fusion! Level 6! Come! Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk!"**_

Once more, the lightning-infused bird took to the skies as it appeared on the field.

 **Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk  
LV 6  
Kaze  
Thunder/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 1400-1900 ] / DEF 1600-2100**

"Wait, don't Fusion Monsters require specific materials?" Kurogasa questioned. "How could she summon that one back out using a different Spiritual Beast?"

"Not all of them; my own deck runs similarly in that my Fusion Monsters don't require specific Monsters as their material." Mion explained.

"That's true." Rena remarked. "Mii-chan's Fusion Monsters aren't so old-fashioned."

"Next I activate Fusion Weapon and equip it to my _Rider Kannahawk_!" Naomi added as a demonic-looking gauntlet of some sort formed on the right arm of _Kannahawk's_ tamer.

 _ **[Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk - ATK: 1900-3400]**_

"An ATK of 3400?!" Satoko gasped.

" _Rider Kannahawk_ attacks _Nekroz of Brionac_!" Naomi declared as the black bird soared into the sky before shooting down towards the armored teen, the electricity coursing around him making him appear as if he were a bolt of lightning coming down from the sky. _Brionac_ was unable to dodge, leaving him to be obliterated by the charging attack and broken into Solid Vision fragments.

 **Kurai:** 4000-2900  
 **Naomi:** 4000

"And next, the normal _Kannahawk_ will attack the player directly!" Naomi said as the smaller bird swooped down at the _Nekroz_ duelist and swiped at him with its talons.

 **Kurai:** 2900-1000  
 **Naomi:** 4000

"She already managed to take out that much from Kurai-kun's Life Points?" Rena gasped.

"She's not pulling any punches…" Mion added.

"Tan endo." Naomi said. "And since my turn is over, _Apelio's_ effect ends."

 _ **[Spiritual Beast Kannahawk - ATK: 1900-1400 / DEF: 1100-600]**_

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he drew his next card. "I activate the Magic Card, _Duel_! Now we can draw until we both have six cards in our hand!" After both player's followed the card's instructions, Kurai looked at his new hand and gasped lightly when he saw that _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ was among them.

' _She's really strong…'_ Kurai thought to himself. ' _I guess my only real choice here is…'_

"I activate the Magic Card, _Pre-Preparation of Rites_! This lets me add a Ritual Magic Card and a Ritual Monster listed in its text from my Deck or Cemetery to my hand!" Two cards stuck out from Kurai's Deck, which he took and revealed to be _Nekroz Mirror_ and _Nekroz of Gungnir_. "Next I activate _Nekroz Mirror_! I'll banish _Schritt_ from my Cemetery in order to use him as the full requirement for a Ritual Summon!" Once the ceremonial mirror had materialized onto the field, a total of eight spheres of light flew into the glassy surface before the face of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ was reflected.

" _ **Ruler of ancient magic! With the inherited arts, at this moment, appear before me and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Reincarnate! Level 8! Nekroz of Valkyrus!"**_

In a flash of azure light, the youthful version of Great Sorcerer made his appearance on the field.

 **Nekroz of Valkyrus  
LV 8  
Mizu  
Magician/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 17600**

* * *

Inside the Leo corp. Building, the many machines and monitors throughout the darkened room went off in response to _Valkyrus'_ summoning.

"Abnormal amounts of Ritual energy detected!" Called out one of the workers, prompting an intrigued look from Reiji and his companion.

"So it was him…" Reiji muttered.

"Hm?"

"Just this morning, we detected a surge of Ritual-based energy just like this." Reiji explained calmly. "I think now it's safe to say that this Kurogami Kurai is the source of those readings."

"Now isn't that interesting…" his companion mused.

* * *

Elsewhere within the city, a young man with dark red hair stopped walking abruptly as he felt a strange twinge within his body. He looked around as he began trying to pinpoint something.

"Is she dueling…?" The young man mumbled. After a moment, he took off down another street.

* * *

"That card again?" Mion questioned curiously.

"We still haven't asked him where or when he got it…" Rena remembered.

' _What's this…'_ Naomi thought to herself as she gripped her chest slightly. ' _Why am I getting that feeling now? I'm not dueling_ him _._ '

"I activate _Valkyrus'_ effect!" Kurai continued. "I can Tribute up to 2 Monsters from my hand or field to draw a card for each one!" The _Nekroz_ duelist then held out a pair of Monsters from his hand and revealed them to everyone present. "I'm Tributing _Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz_ and _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ to draw 2 cards!" After the crimson-haired female _Nekroz_ Monster and a large blue draconian creature appeared on the field and vanished shortly afterwards, Kurai drew two more cards. "At this time, the effects of _Exa_ and _Dance Princess_ activate since they were Tributed by a card effect! _Exa_ allows me to add a Dragon-Type _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my Deck while _Dance Princess_ lets me add one of my banished cards to my hand."

Kurai then put the pocketed _Schritt_ back into his hand before shifting through his Deck and taking out _Nekroz of Decisive_ and adding it to his hand. After his Deck has shuffled, he continued. "I activate the effect of the _Nekroz of Decisive_ I just added to my hand! By discarding it, I can give a _Nekroz_ Monster on my field an additional 1000 ATK and DEF for the rest of the turn!" A bluish aura flared around _Valkyrus_ as he powered up after Kurai discarded the Ritual Monster.

 _ **[Nekroz of Valkyrus - ATK: 2900-3900 / DEF: 1700-2700]**_

" _Valkyrus_ attacks your _Rider Kannahawk_!" Kurai announced as _Valkyrus_ pointed its staff skyward. " **Blue Destruction!** " No sooner than the name of the attack was uttered, a large beam of bluish-colored magic speared through the sky towards the large bird and its master.

"I activate _Kannahawk's_ effect!" Naomi countered. "By returning _Kannahawk_ to the Extra Deck, I can Special Summon a _Spirit Beast Tamer_ and a _Spiritual Beast_ that are banished!" The lightning-charged bird soon vanished into oblivion, only for a vortex to open up, making way for _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_ and _Spiritual Beast Apelio_.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Elder  
LV 2  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 200 / DEF [ 1000 ]**

 **Spiritual Beast Apelio  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Fire/Effect  
ATK 1800 / DEF [ 200 ]**

"She can use that effect in response to _attacks_ too?!" Kurai gasped. "Tch… then I'll attack _Elder_!" _Valkyrus'_ attack struck the elderly man, leaving no trace of him behind. "Tan endo."

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Naomi called out as she began her turn. Looking at the card she drew, Naomi narrowed her eyes briefly as she felt something within her stirring, followed by the faint sound of a roaring lion.

 _'So you're ready to fight too, is that right?'_ Naomi thought to herself as she glanced at her Extra Deck.

"I Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Rera_!" Appearing next to _Apelio_ was a young woman with dirty blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a green and brown top that exposed only a small portion of her midriff, a pale green skirt with a black belt, black tights with brown shoes, black gloves that reached up to her elbows, and a green cloak with an inner red lining draped over her shoulders. In her hands the woman carried a staff similar to that of _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Rera  
LV 1  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 100 ] / DEF 2000**

" _Rera's_ Monster effect!" Naomi declared. "When Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a _Spirit Beast_ or _Spiritual Beast_ Monster from my Cemetery! I Special Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_!" _Rera_ slammed her staff into the ground, opening up a portal that gave way to the elderly man once more.

 **Spirit Beast Tamer Elder  
LV 2  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 200 / DEF [ 1000 ]**

"Next, I'm banishing _Elder_ and _Kannahawk_!" The _Spirit Beast_ duelist continued as both Monsters vanished within a vortex in the sky.

" _ **Rider of hope's winds! Bird of striking thunder! Combine your powers from within the void and create a greater force! Contact Fusion! Level 6! Come! Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk!"**_

Once more, the matured version of _Kannahawk_ appeared with _Elder_ riding on its back.

 **Spiritual Beast Rider Kannahawk  
LV 6  
Kaze  
Thunder/Fusion/Effect  
ATK 1400 / DEF [ 1600 ]**

"And next, I'll banish _Rera_ and _Apelio_!" Naomi went on as her other two Monsters vanished within another vortex.

" _ **Tribal descendant! Beast of burning flames! Spiral into the void and create a new power! Contact Fusion! Level 6! Appear now! Spiritual Beast Rider Apelio!"**_

Appearing next on Naomi's field was what appeared to be a more mature version of _Spiritual Beast Apelio_ , but now the lion was outfitted with armor on its legs and torso, while the flames on its mane burned more fiercely than before. Riding on its back was none other than _Rera_ herself.

 **Spiritual Beast Rider Apelio  
LV 6  
Kaze  
Fire/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2600 ] / DEF 400**

Mere seconds after _Apelio_ had debuted on the field, it eyed _Valkyrus_ menacingly as the eyes of both the lion and its rider became a vibrant violet color. Likewise, _Valkyrus_ ' eyes lit up with an azure light.

* * *

As everyone in the observation room watched the duel unfold, namely Reiji and his companion, the video feed abruptly turned to static just as _Apelio_ had been Summoned.

"What happened?" The green-haired boy questioned.

"Looks like something is interfering with the signal." Reiji mused. "But 'what' it is is another question entirely."

* * *

The red-haired boy nearly stumbled and fell onto the ground as he felt his heart literally skip a beat.

"What… what is this?" He wondered as he lightly gripped his chest. "This feels different somehow." He shook his head before taking off once again.

* * *

Just then, Kurai felt his heart skip a beat. "Wha…?" He managed to say as he gripped his chest, finding it hard to breathe. This passed after a moment, however, but was replaced immediately with a burning pain throughout his body. Kurai gasped loudly as he clutched his chest and reeled back from the sudden jolt of pain that seemed to only get worse. Kurai then cried out as a stronger pulse of pain shot through him.

"H-Hey, what's going on?" Naomi asked.

"Kurai-san...?" Satoko asked, genuinely worried for her friend.

"Kurai-kun!" Rena gasped.

"K-chan, what's wrong?" Mion added as she saw her friend trying to catch his breath. Kurai felt to his knees as he continued to struggle against the pain flashing through him, but soon found himself on the ground as he came on the verge of blacking out.

' _What's going on… here…?'_ Kurai thought to himself. ' _It's like…'_ However, before he could finish his thought, everything around him grew dark and he slipped into unconsciousness.


	4. Scale 3

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 3**

 **Heated Rivalry! Ritual User Kurai vs. Fusion User Mion**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

Kurai slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring up at the ceiling of his own room. After taking a few seconds to shake off the grog, he sat up and looked around and found he was in fact lying in his bed.

"How am I…" Kurai muttered as he noticed there was much more light leaking in through his window than there should have been. "I guess I slept through the night…" Looking over to his bedside table, he found his Duel Disk and his deck neatly placed there, but paused when he heard noise coming from downstairs.

He slowly got out of bed, noting he was still in his clothes from yesterday, and carefully walked through the house and downstairs where he found an unexpected sight. Sitting in his living room was Naomi, the strange red-haired girl from the day before, looking as if she were thinking to herself. Kurai cleared his throat to get her attention, causing her to jump slightly as she turned to see him.

"Oh hey, you're finally awake." She said as she stood up. "How are you feeling?"

Kurai blinked and answered after a moment of being caught up in his surprise. "Better, surprisingly." A thought then occurred to him. "Hey… did you bring me back here?"

"Actually, it was your friends that did that." The _Spirit Beast_ duelist answered. "But I offered to stay here and look after you since it didn't look like anyone else was home."

"My parents travel a lot for their jobs." Kurai explained with a shrug. "So I'm normally here by myself."

"In that case I guess it helps to have friends like yours. I nearly got into a heated argument with them to let me stay here with you." Naomi added with a chuckle. Kurai joined in as well.

"I'm not surprised." Kurai added. "We're all pretty close-knit."

"I see…" Naomi said as she looked away for a moment.

"Hm?"

"Um… I was actually wondering…" the _Spirit Beast_ duelist trailed off. "I was wondering if… if you'd let me stay here for a while."

"... Eh?" Kurai responded.

"My brother and I… we're not from around here." Naomi continued. "So right now I don't really have anywhere to go. I was wondering if I could stay here with you for the time being. At least until I can find out where my brother is." After composing himself from the sudden request, Kurai gave an answer.

"I… I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble." He answered. "It's not like I don't have the extra space here, and I'm not one to just turn down somebody who needs help." Naomi's eyes brightened upon hearing Kurai's words.

"Thank you… uh..."

"Oh, right. My name's Kurogami Kurai." The _Nekroz_ duelist said.

"Ah. Thank you, Kurai-san." She nodded just as the sound of a landline phone went off, prompting Kurai to jog into the kitchen and pick it up.

"Hello?"

 **~ Oh K-chan, you're up! I take it you're feeling better? ~** came the sound of Mion's voice from the other end.

"I guess you could say that." Kurai replied back.

 **~ Perfect, then let's have a club meeting today. We can do something to celebrate Heitmann being fired some other time. ~** Mion added. **~ I already called the others and they said they'd be able to make it. ~**

"I see. Then in that case, I'll head out in a few minutes." The _Nekroz_ duelist said. "Where are we meeting?"

 **~ Central Park. ~** Mion replied, causing Kurai to flash back to his duel yesterday with Naomi. **~ Oh, and Rena said she'd meet you at the usual place. ~**

"Is that so? Then I'll get going so she doesn't wait too long." Kurai added before he hung up. The blue-haired boy hurriedly ran back upstairs, grabbed his Duel Disk and deck, then went back downstairs to put his shoes on.

"Where are you going?" Naomi asked as she watched Kurai getting set to leave.

"The others wanted to meet up, so I'm about to leave." Kurai answered as he stood up and looked at her, still unused to her resemblance to him. "Do you want to come?"

"Really? Are you sure?" She answered. Kurai nodded.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem." The blue-haired boy reassured. "And besides, after seeing your dueling yesterday, they'd probably be ready to make you a member of the club in a heartbeat." After Naomi had put her own shoes on as well, the two duelists left the house, with Kurai leading the way to where they needed to go. As they neared an intersection, Kurai saw Rena just ahead of them, who beamed brightly as soon as she saw her friend.

"Kurai-kun! Good morning!" She greeted with a wave. Kurai smiled as he approached her.

"Morning, Rena."

"How are you feeling?" Rena asked.

"Better." The _Nekroz_ duelist replied as the three of them continued walking, though he noticed that Rena was staying silent for some reason occasionally glancing back at Naomi. "Is something wrong?" Rena jumped as she caught herself.

"O-Oh, nothing's wrong." she reassured. Kurai simply looked at her momentarily before they continued walking.

* * *

Several minutes later, the three of them had arrived at Central Park, where they found Mion, Satoko, Rika, and Kurogasa waiting just inside.

"Oh, there they are!" Mion spoke up as she saw the three duelists walking toward them.

"About time." Kurogasa smirked. "Feeling better Sleeping Beauty?"

"You could say that." Kurai answered. "Definitely better than yesterday."

"That's good to hear." Rika said as she walked up to Kurai and smiled brightly.

As the group gathered together, another young man in his mid to late teens with short, dark brown hair was walking towards them wearing an open, tan summer jacket over a grey dress shirt, blue jeans and standard brown shoes with rectangular-rimmed glasses and a lollipop in his mouth, "Hey, everyone."

"Oh, Ryuuji-kun's finally here." Mion smirked as the final member of the group arrived. The others gave their own greetings while Kurai walked up to the young man and offered his fist.

"Good seeing you back, man." Kurai added, to which the brown-haired boy returned the offer with his own fist.

"Thanks. Luckily it was just a minor fever, nothing serious." Ryuuji said, explaining why he wasn't in school the previous day, then pulled out a small bag of six lollipops out of his jacket pocket. "And I brought a few for everyone." Kurai nodded and took one of the pieces of candy from the bag and gave his friend a thumbs-up. Ryuuji shot a smirk to his friend before walking over to the girls of their group, handing a lollipop each to Mion, Rena, Rika, and Satoko, but then noticed an extra in the bag. "Huh. Must've brought one too many." The brown-haired young man then saw Naomi, not recognizing her. "Sorry, but are you a new student to Summoners Duel School?"

"Not really. I just came along with Kurai-san." She answered. "My name's Naomi, by the way."

"Sogabe Ryuuji." Ryuuji introduced himself, then pulled out the remaining candy from his bag and held it towards Naomi. "Want a lolli?"

"E-Er… Thanks." Naomi said before taking the lollipop.

"Why do I feel like I'm being ignored?" Kurogasa muttered.

Ryuuji then turned his attention to Kurogasa, just now noticing he was there, "Sorry, I didn't notice you. Are you new to Summoners Duel School?"

"Yeah, I got recently transferred. Name's Kururugi Kurogasa." He waved.

Ryuuji looked over the new student for a moment before shifting his glasses. "I see." Then the glasses-wearing young man returned his attention to the rest of the group.

"Well then with that out of the way…" Mion spoke up before turning and pointing to Kurai. "Let's start today's meeting with a duel! K-chan, we're gonna settle our score this time!" Kurai smirked.

"Oh really?" He asked. "Then let's see how well that works out." And with that, both duelists instantly activated their Duel Disks and stood opposite each other.

"Oh-ho~, this should be interesting." Ryuuji said with an intrigued smirk. "Mion and Kurai are pretty closely matched, so it's always a treat to watch them duel."

"DUEL!"

 **Mion LP:** 4000  
 **Kurai LP:** 4000

"Ore no tan!" Mion called out as she began her turn. She looked over her starting hand and smirked. "I activate the Magic Card, _Fusion_!"

"A Fusion Summon right away?" Satoko wondered.

"I guess Mii doesn't want to play around this time." Rika added.

"I'm fusing _Elemental HERO The Heat_ and _Elemental HERO Lady of Fire_ from my hand!" Mion announced as two figures; a man and a woman, both garbed in bodysuits colored in white, gold, and orange, appeared above the field before flying into a vortex that opened up in the sky.

" _ **Lord and Lady of the flame! Come together in the alchemic spiral and embody my burning soul! Fusion Summon! Ignite! Level 8! Elemental HERO Nova Master!"**_

A pillar of flame speared through the vortex, which soon gave way for a new figure; a tall man clad from head to toe in gold armor with fiery red plates scattered about, while a red cape fluttered behind him.

 **Elemental HERO Nova Master  
LV 8  
Hono  
Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2600 ] / DEF 2100**

"She uses Fusion as well…" Naomi muttered while watching the duel intently.

"I'll Set a card face-down. Tan endo." Mion concluded.

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he began his turn. "I activate the Ritual Magic Card, Nekroz Mirror! With it I'll Tribute this card from my hand to perform a Ritual Summon! Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz!"

As normal, the ceremonial mirror materialized and hovered above the field while a large blue draconian creature clad in battle gear consisting of black pants, brown combat boots, and brown leather gloves with metal claws protruding from the knuckles, and an exact replica of the Nekroz Mirror chained to its chest, appeared before splitting into five spheres of white light that shot into the mirror's glassy surface. Soon, the creature's face was being reflected in the mirror before it shattered and let off a bright bluish glow.

" _ **Dragon with the power to banish impure light! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 5! Nekroz of Catastor!"**_

Appearing on Kurai's field next was a creature that looked nearly identical to Exa, but now it had white armor that extended all the way up its arms, with golden claws protruding at the ends and forming rather large fingers. The dragon also now sported white greaves over its forelegs, while it still possessed a replica of the ceremonial mirror on its chest via chains.

 **Nekroz of Catastor  
LV 5  
Mizu  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2200 ] / DEF 1200**

" _Nekroz of Catastor_ attacks _Nova Master_!" Kurai declared as the armored dragon charged forward.

"Trap Card, open!" Mion countered as her Set card rose. " _Hero Barrier_! When my opponent attacks while I have an _Elemental HERO_ Monster on my field, I can negate the attack!" Just as Catastor got within striking range of the fire-based _HERO_ , a barrier of flames erupted from the ground, effectively stopping the Nekroz Monster from landing a hit.

"I'll set a card face-down. Tan endo." Kurai finished as a reversed card appeared on his field.

"I don't get it. Why would Kurai attack a stronger Monster?" Kurogasa asked in confusion.

" _Nekroz of Catastor_ 's effect automatically destroys any Monster it battles that was summoned from the Extra Deck," Ryuuji explained. "Much like how _Ally of Justice - Catastor_ automatically destroys any non- _Yami_ Monster it battles."

"It had that kind of effect?" the Gusta duelist wondered in surprise.

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Mion called out as she drew her next card. "I'll activate the Magic Card, _Duel_ so we drew until we're holding six cards!" Both players quickly did as the card instructed. "And then I summon _Elemental HERO Knospe_!" Appearing next to Nova Master was a small, anthropomorphized plant with closed-up flowers for hands and another one for its head while leaves served as its feet.

 **Elemental HERO Knospe  
LV 3  
Chi  
Plant/Effect  
ATK [ 600 ] / DEF 1000**

"And next I activate the Magic Card, _Blumenblatt_!" Mion went on as she slid the card into her Duel Disk. "This lets me send _Knospe_ to the Cemetery and Special Summon _Elemental HERO Blume_ from my hand or Deck!" _Knospe_ let off a forest green light before it grew and changed shape. In a burst of motes of light, _Knospe_ had transformed into a woman with lavender-colored skin, white hair, pointed ears, and garbed in a black and green outfit that covered her body from the neck down.

 **Elemental HERO Blume  
LV 6  
Chi  
Plant/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 2000**

"Next is the Magic Card, _H - Heat Heart_!" Mion added as a green aura flared around _Blume_. "This gives an _Elemental HERO_ on my field 500 ATK and the ability to inflict piercing damage!

 _ **[ Elemental HERO Blume - ATK: 1900-2400 ]**_

"Next, _Blume_ will attack _Nekroz of Catastor_!" With a wave of her hand, _Blume_ unleashed a storm of rose petals upon the Dragon-Type Ritual Monster, leaving it unable to defend itself before shattering into nothing.

 **Mion LP:** 4000  
 **Kurai LP:** 4000-3800

" _Blume_ 's Monster effect increases her ATK by 200 and decreases her DEF by 200 each time she inflicts battle damage!" Mion explained as the _Elemental HERO_ grew slightly stronger.

 _ **[ Elemental HERO Blume - ATK: 2400-2600 / DEF: 2000-1800 ]**_

Mion smirked. " _Elemental HERO Nova Master_ , attack the player directly!" she ordered, to which her other Monster launched a large fireball at Kurai, knocking him back upon impact.

 **Mion LP:** 4000  
 **Kurai LP:** 3800-1200

"Trap Card, open!" Kurai retaliated as he skidded to a stop. " _Nekroz Invocation Technique_! When I receive battle damage, I can Special Summon a _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my Deck whose ATK is no higher than the damage I took!"

"Since Kurai-san just took 2600 damage…" Satoko began.

"He can summon a Ritual Monster with up to 2600 ATK!" Rena finished as a card slid out from Kurai's deck, which he took and slapped onto his Duel Disk.

" _ **Sorceress with the might of the dragon! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Emerge! Level 7! Nekroz of Gungnir!"**_

Appearing on Kurai's field next was the dragon-armored version of Dance Princess of the Nekroz, spinning her staff around before staring down the opposition in front of her.

 **Nekroz of Gungnir  
LV 7  
Mizu  
Magician/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1700**

"Hm… I'll set a card. Tan endo." Mion finished. "At this time, the effects of _H - Heat Heart_ end."

 _ **[ Elemental HERO Blume - ATK: 2600-2100 / DEF: 1800 ]**_

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai drew his next card. 'Blume's _Monster effect keeps me from targeting her other Monsters for attacks, so my best bet is…'_ He then glanced to the lone card in Mion's back row. ' _That card might be something that can stop Gungnir's effect though, so I should move to plan B.'_

"I activate the Magic Card, _Reincarnation Technique of the Nekroz_!" Kurai called out as he slapped the Magic Card onto his Duel Disk. "This lets me Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Monster from my hand or Cemetery by Tributing the Monsters from my hand or field!" Kurai then held up a single card, revealing it to be _Schritt_. " _Schritt's_ effect allows me to Tribute him as the entire requirement when I Ritual Summon only one _Nekroz_ Monster." As Kurai slid the card into his Cemetery, a total of ten orbs of light formed on the field before flying into the golden gem hovering above Kurai.

"Level 10!" Rena gasped.

"What kind of Monster can he summon with that level?!" Kurogasa gawked. Ryuuji grinned while watching the Ritual Summon take place.

"So he's going for the heavy hitter." he mused. "His second-best card."

"Second-best?" Kurogasa asked. "Now I'm kinda scared what his _best_ card is."

" _ **Dragon renowned as the deadliest weapon! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 10! Nekroz of Decisive!"**_

Bursting onto the field next was Exa once again, though this time he was much larger and was outfitted with black-and-gold armor plating on his arms and shoulders fitted with an apparatus that allowed for two large golden cannons to rest on the dragon's forearms, while another, even large black cannon rested on its back.

 **Nekroz of Decisive  
LV 10  
Mizu  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 3300 ] / DEF 2300**

"There it is..." Rena mused. " _Nekroz of Decisive_."

"Ah geez, that thing's huge." Kurogasa bugged out.

"It's no surprise." Rena added. "Since it's based off of the _Ally of Justice - Decisive Arms_."

"'Based off of it'?" Kurogasa repeated.

"That's right; Kurai-kun's Ritual Monsters are all based off of Synchro Monsters from other archetypes." Rena explained.

"That explains it… no wonder he gave me total defeat…" Kurogasa deadpanned.

" _Nekroz of Decisive's_ effect!" Kurai announced. "Once a turn I can target one of your Set cards and destroy it, then I'm allowed to immediately banish it!" Mion gasped as _Decisive_ fired a large blast from one of its arm cannons, prompting the _Elemental HERO_ duelist to jump out of the way on instinct before the attack hit, leaving her field occupied only by Monsters.

" _Nekroz of Gungnir's_ Monster effect!" Kurai continued while discarding a card. "I can discard a _Nekroz_ card to destroy one card on your field. I choose to destroy Nova Master."

The dragon-armored sorceress quickly launched a spear made of magical energy at the Fusion Monster, piercing through its chest and making it shatter apart into Solid Vision fragments. "And next _Decisive_ will attack Blume!" On cue, the large Dragon-Type Monster leaned forward to aim its back cannon at the _Elemental HERO_ of plants while charging up another blast. Seconds later, the cannon discharged its pent-up power, obliterating Blume in a matter of an instant.

 **Mion LP:** 4000-2800  
 **Kurai LP:** 1200

" _Nekroz of Gungnir_ , attack the player directly! **Dragon Magic Burst!** "

Once again, the sorceress unleashed two spheres of magic from her hands, lobbing them at Mion and causing the girl to once again leap back on instinct, though she was still pushed back from the subsequent shockwaves.

 **Mion LP:** 2800-300  
 **Kurai LP:** 1200

"Tan endo." Kurai finished, pleased with the damage he had dealt.

"Tch… Alright, you better watch out, K-chan! You're gonna regret not beating me on the spot!" Mion smirked competitively. "Ore no tan! Draw! I activate the Magic Card, _Treasure Cards from the Heavens_ , allowing us to draw again until we have six cards." Once both players had drawn, Mion grinned. "I activate the Magic Card, _Fusion_! I'm fusing _Elemental HERO Ocean_ and _Elemental HERO Forestman_ from my hand!"

"Mii is-!" Rika realized.

"She's going for her ace!" Satoko grinned cheekily while watching the duel.

Two new figures flew onto the field briefly; one was a tall man clad in blue and silver armor with a fin arcing back on top of his head, while the other was a muscular, green-skinned man wearing tattered brown shorts and sporting a large portion of his body on the right side that was seemingly made of tree bark to the extent the shoots protruded from his shoulder.

" _ **Shifting soil and raging seas come together to form a greater force that binds the world together! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Elemental HERO The Earth!"**_

Appearing next on the field in front of Mion was a tall, muscular white-skinned figure with a red gem at the center of a silver wing emblem on his chest and blue gems placed on his shoulders and scalp. The immediate feature that could be noticed about him though was that he appeared to be entirely mechanical.

 **Elemental HERO The Earth  
LV 8  
Chi  
Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"I'll then summon Elemental HERO Prisma!" Mion went on as she summoned forth a figure made entirely of transparent blue and white crystals, forming the shape of a man with wings.

 **Elemental HERO Prisma  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1700 ] / DEF 1100**

"I activate Elemental HERO The Earth's effect!" Mion declared as her Fusion Monster began to glow with a golden aura. "I can Tribute an Elemental HERO Monster on my field to increase The Earth's ATK by the Tributed Monster's. I Tribute Prisma to increase The Earth's ATK by 1700! **The Earth Magma!** " The crystalline HERO vanished by transforming into a mass of energy that was transferred to the Fusion Monster's core.

 _ **[ Elemental HERO The Earth - ATK: 2500-4200 ]**_

"She's still 300 points short though…" Kurogasa noticed, but then his eyes widened when he considered the other possibility. "Unless-!"

Kurai chuckled. "Looks like you got me this time." he remarked. Mion once again smirked competitively.

"For what it's worth you managed to get me down pretty far." she retorted before pointing to the _Nekroz_ duelist. " _Elemental HERO The Earth_ , attack _Nekroz of Gungnir_! **Earth Magma Slash!** " Mion's Fusion Monster then charged forward as a bright light emanated from the Monster's core, and soon enough a blade of fiery magma materialized on its right arm. The Moment it was within striking distance of _Gungnir_ , _The Earth_ swung its arm horizontally, cutting the Magician-Type Monster in half before it shattered into fragments of Solid vision, the aftershocks from the attack sending Kurai back a couple of inches.

 **Mion LP:** 300  
 **Kurai LP:** 1200-0

As the Solid Vision holograms faded, both duelists gathered their cards and put them back into their decks and turned off their Duel Disks.

"That's a win for me then." Mion said as everyone gathered around again to congratulate both duelists.

"Just wait, I'll tie us again next time." Kurai retorted with a smirk.

"The first duel after I'm back and you lose?" Ryuuji asked his friend with a look of false disappointment. "Are you going soft on me or something?" He then chuckled as Kurai punched his friend's shoulder.

"Duel me and find out." he challenged. Everyone else seemed to hop onto the same topic and began talking about dueling others amongst the group. Meanwhile, Naomi stood back from everyone else, thinking about the duel she'd just witnessed.

' _I wasn't expecting to find such talented duelists like this.'_ she thought to herself. ' _I wonder if…'_

"Hey! Naomi!" Kurai called over to the _Spirit Beast_ duelist, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Come on over, the group wouldn't be complete without you."

"H-Huh?" she wondered aloud. "Me? Really?"

"Of course." Mion spoke up. "We can't help you find your brother if you weren't, now could we?" Naomi stood there in surprise for a moment before cracking a smile.

"You're right." she replied. "Thanks." And with that she walked over to where everyone was gathered and deciding on their opponents for the upcoming duels.


	5. Scale 4

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 4**

 **Judgment of the Stars! Xyz User "Shijima Hokuto"**

* * *

 **Hey there everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions! By the time you all read this, I'll be a high school graduate, so yay for that, but it also means that I'll be updating a lot more often since I'll have so much free time on my hands now.**

 **Anyways, moving on, this chapter is finally gonna have our heroes meeting up with the main cast, if you couldn't tell by the title of the chapter. But as for what else happens… well you'll just have to read and find out, now won't you? So without any further wait, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to read and review afterwards.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

High in the skies above Japan, a private jet shot over the clouds towards its destination. Inside the jet, sitting by a window while looking through photos on an LDS-issue tablet, was a young woman with long, curly magenta hair and blue eyes, wearing a pink skirt and blouse with a long gold earring and necklace combination, and pink colored high heeled shoes with golden strips.

 _ **~ We will be arriving in the country of Japan shortly. ~**_ Came the voice of the female pilot over the plane's intercom system.

Chuckling to herself, the woman looked outside the small square window next to her, seeing Maiami City not too far off in the distance, with the Leo Corporation building overshadowing all the other buildings even from such a far distance away.

* * *

Around an hour later, the magenta-haired woman was riding through the city in a white limousine. Riding with her was none other than Nakajima.

"Congratulations on the company merger, Chairwoman." Nakajima spoke up to break the silence.

"With this, one more step in our plan has been completed." Chairwoman Akaba Himika mused half-to-herself as she stared out the window. "To make LDS present in every part of the world, to raise duelists with the greatest skills and power, is mine and Reiji's plan."

"I'm sure the President will be pleased with your successful acquisition." Nakajima added. "But…"

"'But'?" Himika frowned.

"To be honest, I had refrained from contacting you about this because I didn't want to disrupt your negotiations..." the dark-haired man explained. "While you were gone, there have been a number of incidents that I believe would interest you."

"'Incidents'?" The Chairwoman raised an eyebrow at Nakajima's words.

* * *

Several minutes later, Himika was walking through the Leo Corp. building on one of the higher floors before she entered into a room that looked like a very high-end lounge. Inside was Akaba Reiji, who appeared to be waiting for her.

"Welcome home, mother." Reiji greeted as his mother walked inside.

"Reiji-san, about the new summoning method," Himika began. "Aside from the ones we know; Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Ritual, it's a brand-new one that's appeared, correct?"

"That's right, mother." Reiji replied calmly as he adjusted his glasses. He then motioned for the Chairwoman to sit on one of the couches, to which she complied while he pressed a button on a miniature remote he held, causing a large flat-screen to slid down from the ceiling. "It was around a week ago that it appeared out of the blue." Reiji added as the screen flashed to life and began playing a clip. The video feed showed a young boy, possibly around the age of 14 with double-layered hair that was green on top and red on the bottom.

The boy was presumably in the middle of a duel, as he held up a pair of cards that looked quite different from normal Duel Monsters cards. While the additional text box above the normal one was noticeable, along with the numbers on either side of it, the most immediate characteristic that made the cards stand out was that they were colored with the standard orange of Effect Monsters on top, but on the bottom half they were colored with the same shade of green as Magic Cards.

 _ **~ I, using the Scale 1**_ **Astromancy Magician** _ **and the Scale 8**_ **Chronomancy Magician** _ **, set the Pendulum Scale! ~**_ the red-haired boy announced as he slapped the two cards onto his Duel Disk, one on each of the far ends of the card board. Immediately, the word 'PENDULUM' could be seen being spelled out on the card board itself in large multicolored letters. The footage then zoomed out to show that two pillars of blue light had formed on either side of the young duelist before two figures with similar appearances floated up into the air inside the strange pillars. _**~ With this, I'm able to summon multiple Monsters between Levels 2 and 7! ~**_ the red-haired boy said as a large pendant materialized above him and swung like a pendulum.

" _ **Swing, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monster servants!"**_

By now, the pendant in the sky had begun to spin in a circle, creating a large portal in between the two pillars of light. Just then, three masses of energy could be seen shooting out of the vortex and impacting the ground before taking shape. Now standing in front of the young duelist was a purple snake wearing a top hat and a bowtie, a fish with a styled-up pompadour that also resembled a sword, and a large red dragon that Himika didn't recognize.

"Pendulum Summon?" Himika parroted.

"It involves using two of the special Pendulum Cards," Reiji explained. "And it allows you to summon multiple high-Level Monsters without Tributing at all. This has never existed before." Himika simply looked at her son in disbelief.

"It can't be…" she finally said. "Is this also _that_ person's?"

"We're still investigating exactly how this occurred," Reiji answered calmly. "But on the topic of performing the Pendulum Summon itself, through our data and analysis we almost have a complete understanding of it."

"I expected nothing less, Reiji-san." Himika smiled.

"The problem is the duelist that discovered it." Reiji pointed out as a new image was shown on-screen, revealing it to be a profile of some type regarding the teen from the earlier video feed. "His name is Sakaki Yuya. He's currently enrolled at an inner-city Duel School - a male of age 14. He's in the Junior Youth Class, and his recorded match record is 46 matches with 26 wins."

"His win rate is almost fifty percent!" Himika realized. "That's it? And he's still in the Junior Youth Class? You mean to tell me _he's_ the one that gave birth to this new summoning method?"

"He is the son of _that_ Sakaki Yusho.".

"Sakaki Yusho?!" Himika repeated in shock. " _That_ Sakaki Yusho that vanished three years ago and may have joined forces with our enemies? That's his son?"

"We cannot deny the possibility. Or it could be the opposite." Reiji pointed out.

"The opposite?"

Reiji nodded. "It seems that last night, a member of Sawatari-sensei's family was assaulted." he explained, causing Himika to gasp. "The one who assaulted him... was a duelist that used Xyz."

* * *

One afternoon at SDS after classes had ended for the day, Kurai and the others had gathered in the school's arena for their normal club meeting, though once Principal Narukami entered, they were met with surprising news.

"Good news, everyone," the principal began. "I've managed to arrange for you all to participate in an inter-school match this afternoon."

"An inter-school match? Really?" Satoko asked.

"Which school is it?" Kurai added.

"The You Show Duel School." the principal replied, much to everyone's confusion.

"You Show, huh? But they only run the standard Advance Summoning classes, don't they?" Ryuuji questioned. "Wouldn't it be a bit unfair considering we utilize every summoning method?"

"Then again, I've been hearing some rumors going around lately," Mion spoke up. "Something about a new summoning method discovered by one of the students there."

"A new summoning method?" Rena repeated with a tone of curiosity as she placed one finger on her cheek and tilted her head. "I wonder what it could be, I wonder…"

"And that's precisely why I arranged this match." Principal Narukami stated. "It can give us the chance to see this new method for ourselves, and maybe even find out how we can implement it here. And besides, they've been getting more new students lately, one of which I believe uses Fusion Summoning, from what the principal told me over the phone." Naomi, who had been standing back quietly for the most part, gasped to herself at the mention of a Fusion-user at You Show.

' _Fusion…? Wait, could it be…'_ she thought to herself.

"This should prove to be interesting then." Kurai commented. "I'm actually getting pumped up."

"Then it's settled. We should get going." Principal Narukami said while gesturing for the club members to come with him.

* * *

Several minutes later, the club and its advisor had arrived in front of a normal-sized building that had many aspects of a playground as opposed to a school; winding around the building from the side and coming down next to an elevator that led up into the building itself was a long yellow tunnel slide, while a large red post with stairs winding around it led up into another portion. At the very top was a space that was totally fenced up, serving as makeshift walls and a ceiling, with the words 'YOU SHOW DUEL SCHOOL' written out in large orange letters above the entrance.

"And here we are!" Principal Narukami announced as they stopped in front of the elevator.

"So this is You Show?" Mion remarked. "Different than I would have imagined."

"Looks more like it'd be someone's home than a school, don't you think?" Ryuuji asked.

"I think it looks really fun, nippa!" Rika chirped with a smile. Satoko nodded in agreement.

"Huh… kinda… I don't know how to describe it." Kurogasa commented.

Just as the SDS principal was about the call for the elevator, the doors slid open to reveal a group of people already inside, seemingly coming down. One of them was an older man in his late thirties with dark blue eyes and hair colored in brown and orange. He wore a red-and-orange jumpsuit with green trim and a red flame design. Underneath was a dark blue shirt with another flame-like design, and around his neck was a white whistle.

"Oh, you must be Principal Narukami from the Summoners Duel School." the older man spoke as he laughed nervously. "We were just coming down to meet you outside. My name is Hiragi Shuzo, and I'm the principal here at the You Show School."

"Right, of course. We spoke earlier today." the SDS principal replied as both men shook hands. Standing behind Shuzo were a number of younger people, presumably the students. One of which, a 14-year-old boy with dark red and green layered hair, stepped forward along with the others and smiled.

"Hi there. I'm Sakaki Yuya," the boy greeted before gesturing to the others behind him. "There are my friends Hiragi Yuzu," He first gestured to a girl his age with pink hair tied in pigtails wearing what appeared to be a uniform from the local middle school. "Harada Futoshi," He then gestured to a younger, heavyset boy with blond hair. "Yamishiro Tatsuya," Next to Futoshi was a boy the same age as him with neatly-combed blue hair. "Ayukawa Ayu," Next to the two younger boys was a little girl with bright red hair. "And Shiunin Sora." Waving energetically at the SDS students was a young boy with light blue hair tied into a ponytail with a lollipop in his mouth.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kurogami Kurai." Kurai introduced himself. "And over here we have Ryugu Rena…" Rena waved to the younger students while smiling. "Sonozaki Mion…" Mion nodded with a friendly expression. "Furude Rika and Hojo Satoko…" The two younger girls beamed at the others from You Show. "Sogabe Ryuuji…" Ryuuji nodded coolly in response. "And I guess Kururugi Kurogasa over here is a friend too."

"Hey, you like candy too?" Sora asked, directing his question to Ryuuji.

"The sugar helps keep me focused," Ryuuji replied. "You?"

"I'd have to agree." Sora nodded. "It really keeps me going during duels."

"Oh, and this is Naomi. She's not really a student, but she's a member of our club nonetheless." Kurai added, introducing the _Spirit Beast_ duelist. However, as soon as she rested her gaze on Sora, she narrowed her eyes. Having finally noticed her presence, the blue-haired duelist did the same.

' _Sora…!'_ Naomi gasped.

' _What is_ she _doing here?'_ Sora wondered to himself.

"Anyways, why don't we head inside?" Shuzo spoke up after the introductions were finished, prompting everyone to nod before the SDS students and the You Show group turned to the elevator leading up.

"You said he ambushed him?!"

Everyone abruptly turned in response to the shout coming from down the street. Just a few feet away from them, they saw a rather tall, well-built boy with black hair talking with another group of people; three middle school-aged boys.

"Yuya would _never_ do something that cowardly!" the boy shouted again in a surprisingly loud and booming voice that didn't fit his age.

"Gongenzaka?" Yuya wondered before he and the other You Show students rushed over.

"What's all the fuss about?" Shuzo questioned, prompting Gongenzaka to turn towards the others.

"Oh, Principal." Gongenzaka greeted. "I, the man Gongenzaka, was in the midst of a run for leg training when I saw these suspicious male figures headed towards the Duel School. But when I questioned them, they said Yuya ambushed someone last night! Unforgivable!"

"Ambushed?!" Shuzo gasped.

"I did?!" Yuya repeated.

"That's right, and we won't let you say you weren't there!" One of the students spoke up.

"Because we were there and saw you do it with our own eyes!" another added.

"There were four, no _five_ witnesses present!" the third one pointed out with a smirk.

"Five?" Shuzo repeated.

"Sawatari-san…" the first student answered.

"Us, and…" the second continued.

"Her too!" the third finished while pointing at Yuzu, causing Shuzo and Yuya to turn to the pink-haired girl.

"Isn't that right, Hiragi Yuzu-chan?" all three boys asked at once almost mockingly.

"Is it true Yuzu? You saw it too?" Gongenzaka asked his female friend.

"Saw what?" Shuzo asked.

"The face of the culprit!" the first boy shot. "The son of the soon-to-be mayor, Sawatari-san's assaulter; Sakaki Yuya!"

"Huh?!" Yuya gasped.

"What do you guys think of all this?" Kurai whispered to his friends.

"Honestly, I'm at a loss here. This all just happened out of nowhere, so I'm not sure how to react." Mion answered.

"Something's really fishy, that's for sure." Kurogasa commented.

"I wonder what's really going on here, I wonder…" Rena pointed out.

"Stop lying!" Tatsuya suddenly yelled from the background, causing everyone to look towards him and the younger kids as they stepped forward to defend their friend. "Yuya would never do something like that!"

"The one who attacked first was Sawatari! So to stop him, Yuzu-oneechan went to duel him!" Ayu pointed out.

"W-Wait, so the one who dueled wasn't Yuya, but Yuzu?" Shuzo gasped. "And her opponent was…"

"Sawatari!"

"Then that means…" Shuzo muttered before crying out in dismay. "The one who ambushed Sawatari was Yuzu!"

"That's wrong!" the three younger kids yelled back.

"Yeesh… how can someone get it wrong like that?" Kurogasa sweat dropped.

"We just told you… it was Sakaki Yuya!" The brown-haired student said exasperatedly. " _He_ attacked Sawatari-san!"

"Poor Sawatari-san!" The red-haired student said while faking sadness. "He was injured so badly he was hospitalized!"

"I think you boys need to back up and explain properly," Satoko said, crossing her arms while glaring at the three boys who were older than she was. "And don't skip details, got it!?"

"Tch… Fine then." the first student hissed while pointing at Yuzu again. "When _she_ tried to duel Sawatari-san, this guy showed up and challenged him in her place."

"And out of nowhere he summoned some sort of Xyz Monster we'd never heard of-" the second student continued.

"Stop right there!" Ryuuji quickly interrupted as he raised his hand towards the second LDS student to cut him off and narrowed his eyes. "You just said this guy used an Xyz, except no one in You Show Duel School even _uses_ Xyz. The only summoning methods practiced here are Advance Summon, Fusion Summon and the newly-discovered Pendulum Summon. So it would be impossible for the person who attacked your friend to be Sakaki Yuya because he doesn't _have_ any Xyz."

"He's right." Shuzo spoke up. "I don't even know how to use Xyz, so I have no way to teach it here."

"I think now it's my turn."

Just then, everyone turned to see a limousine parked right next to them with a woman with long burgundy hair stepping out, dressed in dark red business attire.

"You're LDS'..." Shuzo began.

"That's right; I'm the current Chairwoman." the woman answered. "My name is Akaba Himika. Why don't we go inside and talk? There's no use staying out here."

* * *

Everyone now waited inside You Show's lobby, with Shuzo and Himika sitting on opposite couches facing each other while the You Show students stood by their principal and everyone from SDS stood back.

"Everything they said is the truth." Himika was the first to speak. "The fact that one of our students, Sawatari Shingo, was attacked, as well as his statement that the culprit is Sakaki Yuya who is currently enrolled at this Duel School." Shuzo sighed to himself, unable to decide whether or not she was truly right after all.

"Well Yuya?" he turned to ask the red-haired boy. "Did you really-"

"I didn't!" Yuya responded immediately. "I would never do something like that!"

"I, the man Gongenzaka, believe in his friend Yuya!" Gongenzaka spoke up. He then turned to the younger You Show students. "It's the same for all of you, isn't it?"

"Of course!" Futoshi responded.

"And you, Yuzu?"

The pink haired girl turned to Gongenzaka before reluctantly casting her eyes downwards. She then turned to Yuya. "It really wasn't you, right Yuya?" she asked. Yuya simply looked at his friend, surprised yet understanding of her doubts.

"She doesn't even trust her own friend, even though she was a witness to the event?" Rika questioned, keeping her voice low enough for only the SDS students to hear.

"Yuzu… I don't know what you saw, but I didn't attack Sawatari." the red-haired boy replied firmly. Yuzu stood there for a moment before smiling.

"I got it. Then I'll believe you too." she answered, causing Shuzo to grin.

"Oh my, what strong bonds you have," Himika remarked. "It seems it would be impossible for me to ask you to hand Yuya over… But we cannot turn back at this point." Shuzo's grin died down as he turned to the Chairwoman, wondering what she meant. "If rumors spread that a student from LDS, the world's number one Duel School, lost in a duel, it would bring forth immense danger to our reputation."

"But Yuya didn't-"

"That's no longer important!" Himika suddenly yelled, surprising everyone in the room. "The problem here is that the symbol of LDS has been dragged through the mud! The only way to clear this disgrace is a duel between our schools!"

"But the Summoners Duel School is scheduled to have a match here, you can't just impose a challenge like that out of nowhere!" Kurai interjected.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but this must be settled immediately." Himika added coldly while glaring at the SDS students. "Now then, if your party wins, then we will ignore the case concerning Sawatari."

"And if they lose?" Kurogasa asked.

"I was getting to that." Himika addressed the _Gusta_ duelist sternly with a glare. "If we win, then you must agree to make this school a part of Leo Duel School!"

"What did you say?!" Yuya gasped.

"No way!" Yuzu added.

"Not only do you want to clear your name, but you also want to take over You Show Duel School?!" Gongenzaka questioned.

"Chairwoman Akaba…" Shuzo said calmly. "I've heard that you've acquired many Duel Schools across the world… Am I right in saying that You Show is your next target?" Himika simply turned the corners of her mouth up in a sinister smile. "Don't tell me that… you set up the attack on Sawatari for this!"

"That's not the case!" Himika replied. "However, it is true that I took advantage of a chance given to me."

"I call BS." Kurogasa growled.

"I am of course talking about the chance to have Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum Summoning as the four pillars that support LDS. Don't you think that up until now you've been blessed with an amazing gift?"

"I can understand something like this from a business standpoint, but still… this is just underhanded." Mion whispered to the others.

"Makes me want to wipe that smug look on her face now…" Kuroagsa muttered.

"Using the skills and abilities of the Leo Corporation to add Pendulum Summoning to LDS' curriculum…" Himika mused. "There are many duelists who aspire to use Pendulum Summoning as Yuya does. It's the same for you all as well?" she turned her attention to the younger You Show students.

"B-But if you don't have Yuya's Pendulum Cards to Pendulum Summon…" Tatsuya began.

"That can also be resolved through the Leo Corporation." Himika answered matter-of-factly. "That is why it is necessary for us to unite."

"Dueling… is not a tool for fighting!" Yuya spoke up while clutching the pendant around his neck. "But I don't want You Show Duel School or Pendulum Summoning to be taken away by someone else! This school was created by my father to teach Entertainment Duels. A Duel School that teaches that duels should be enjoyed and viewed by others. I don't want to give it over to someone who thinks they can control anyone with their money and power!"

"Tch…" Himika hissed.

"Well said, Yuya." Gongenzaka chimed in. "I, the man Gongenzaka, agree wholeheartedly. In order to protect You Show, I'll fight alongside you!"

"But you're an outsider, aren't you?" Sora pointed out, causing Gongenzaka's jaw to drop in realization and fall to his knees. "If Duel School students are fighting together, then Yuya, Yuzu and myself will be fine, right? I also wanted to fight against an LDS student, after all."

"Unfortunately Sora has a point," Mion said reluctantly as she placed one hand on her hip. "This is a challenge directed strictly at You Show. As much as we'd like to help, this is between You Show and LDS…"

"To think you would exclude a man such as I, Gongenzaka!" the black-haired boy suddenly roared while waving his arms about. "It's unforgivable!"

"It seems that your students' feelings are in line with one another." Himika observed.

"Mine are as well." Shuzo spoke up as his students moved to stand behind him.

"We won't hand over You Show Duel School!" they all said in unison.

Himika chuckled to herself before looking the members of the rivaling school dead in the eye. "Well then, shall we begin?"

* * *

Minutes later, everyone was gathered at the top floor of You Show, which served as the school's dueling arena, albeit smaller than most other Duel Schools. Those not dueling had moved to the arena's observation room, leaving Shuzo, Yuya, Yuzu, and Sora standing on the arena floor.

Standing across from them was Himika along with three other students from LDS; a middle school-aged boy with purple hair and dressed in a blue-and-purple jacket that was zipped up with a raised collar, white pants, and gold shoes, a girl around the same age with tanned skin and dark hair wearing a light blue top over a cream-colored one piece long-sleeved shirt and shorts combination, black skin-tight shorts, and blue boots. Standing next to them was a shorter boy around the same age with wild brown hair wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and pants under a tan jacket with an orange interior and the sleeves torn off, brown socks, and burnt-orange and grey shoes. Each of the three students also sported an LDS badge pinned on their clothes to be displayed proudly.

"Three vs. three." Himika announced. "The first to get two wins is the victor. Does that sound good to you?" The LDS students nodded. "Now then, who will go fi-"

"Me!" Sora suddenly shouted while raising his hand and wearing a big grin on his face.

"No, I will!" Yuya interrupted while stepping forward.

"Of course. After all, those other two don't seem reliable." Himika chuckled. "If you wanted to finish this as soon as possible, then there's no other choice that makes-"

"Hey! What're you talking about, old lady?!" Sora demanded. "You don't even know how strong I am!"

"That's enough." Yuzu laughed nervously as she lightly hit Sora on the head.

"But it's in your best interest if you don't think you'll win that easily." Himika finished before gesturing to the students next to her. "They're all Junior Youth Class duelists like yourself, Yuya, but they are the aces of each LDS course. And the one who will be dueling you is…"

"LDS' Xyz Course member; Shijima Hokuto." the purple-haired boy spoke up before stepping forward.

"Xyz?" Yuzu repeated , Gongenzaka, Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya were huddled together while they looked up info on Yuya's opponent.

"There he is!" Ayu spoke up as Tatsuya came across the name of the Xyz user. "LDS' Shijima Hokuto!"

"His match record this year is… fifty-eight matches and fifty-three wins?!" Futoshi gasped.

"His winning percentage is over ninety percent!" Tatsuya added in realization.

"He's got over-the-top scored on the Junior Youth Class Rank testings!" Futoshi noticed.

"This guy sounds tough…" Mion commented.

"You're right, to have scores like that when he's younger than us…" Kurai added.

"Forget the scores, I've heard that he's favored to win the upcoming championship." Rika pointed out.

Having heard the conversation, Shuzo stepped forward alongside Yuya. "Whether he's an ace or a potential champion is nothing to be afraid of." he said before turning to Yuya. "Show him your abilities, Yuya! They're burning and hot-blooded!" Shuzo then let out a battle cry that Yuya followed up on a second later. And with that, everyone other than the two duelists entered the observation room and waited for the duel to start.

"Our students can handle any situation, so choose whatever you like." Himika called up to Shuzo, who was currently operating the control center for the field.

"Can handle anything, you say?" Shuzo retorted with a grin. "Then how about this? Action Field - on! Field Magic, Cosmo Sanctuary activate! Use the power of the stars to fight, Yuya!"

After a few seconds, the area around the two duelists had completely changed, now leaving them standing on a large platform of tiled stone in the middle of a cosmic void occupied only be the remains of an ancient temple of some sort and many portions of the outer courtyard of the temple having been broken off, now serving as platforms to navigate around the field.

However, after looking around at the field in surprise for a moment, Hokuto started to laugh as if someone had told a joke.

"What's he laughing about?" Satoko questioned.

"I wonder what's so funny, I wonder." Rena added.

"Of all the things, you chose the field that suits me the best!" Hokuto spoke up with a chuckle.

"WHAT?!" Shuzo gasped in shock.

"Just by looking at the name 'Hokuto' you can figure that much out…" Sora deadpanned.

"I'll definitely win this duel!" Yuya spoke up as he activated his Duel Disk. "I'll win and protect You Show Duel School… and dad's dueling!"

"Duelists locked in battle!" Ayu recited.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Futoshi continued.

"They storm through this field!" Tatsuya added.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" Ayu went on.

"Action..." the three younger students said together.

"DUEL!"

 **Hokuto LP:** 4000

 **Yuya LP:** 4000

"I won't let you guys get You Show!" Yuya declared. However, Hokuto simply smirked.

"He's certainly energetic, isn't he?" Himika commented. "But I wonder how long he will be able to keep that up. Now Hokuto, show us your abilities."

"Understood, Chairwoman." Hokuto replied before facing Yuya. "I'll be taking the first turn! Ore no tan! I summon _Sacred Gredi_!" Appearing on Hokuto's field was a knight clad in silver-and-red armor with a blue cape flowing from his back and a blue-and-silver scepter in his right hand.

 **Sacred Gredi  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Magician/Effect  
ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 1400**

"When this card is successfully summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _Sacred_ Monster from my hand." Hokuto explained while taking another card and slapping it onto his Duel Disk. "I summon _Sacred Kaust_!" On cue, the scepter of _Gredi_ began to glow as a portal opened up in the ground, calling forth a white centaur, with the human half clad in silver armor and carrying a golden bow.

 **Sacred Kaust  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Beast-Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 700**

" _Sacred_ …" Rika muttered. "I've heard of those cards before. They're very rare and are more efficient at Xyz Summoning than even my own deck."

"How so?" Kurai asked.

"While my cards focus on Xyz Monsters that take time to summon, a _Sacred_ deck is more concerned with summoning Monsters quickly to do multiple Xyz Summons." Rika explained.

" _Kaust's_ effect activates!" Hokuto went on. "Twice per turn I can alter the Level of a _Sacred_ Monster on my field! I'll take up one usage to raise the Level of _Gredi_ by one!" Immediately, _Kaust_ fired an arrow of light into the sky which soon shattered once it reached the pinnacle of its ascent, causing motes of light to rain down over _Gredi_.

 **[Sacred Gredi - LV 4-5]**

"And I'll do the same to raise _Kaust's_ Level by one!"

Once again, the centaur fired an arrow into the sky that shattered, raining down motes of light onto itself.

 **[Sacred Kaust - LV 4-5]**

"Two Level 5 Monsters…" Rika mused before her eyes widened. "He's summoning _that_?!"

"Summoning what? What is it?" Kurogasa asked.

"Using _Gredi_ and _Kaust_ , I Overlay!" Hokuto announced as his two Monsters transformed into streams of golden light that flew into the air before entering a large portal in the ground.

" _ **Light of the stars, come, descend and shake this very earth! Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Sacred Pleiades!"**_

Emerging from the portal was a tall warrior clad in silver-and-gold armor carrying a silver sword with a golden hilt and curved handle. On the warrior's back were a set of dark blue protrusions that resembled wings. Orbiting around the Xyz Monster were a pair of small golden orbs of light.

 **Sacred Pleiades  
Rank 5  
Hikari  
Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1500**

"That can't be good…" Mion frowned.

" _Sacred Pleiades_ won't be easy for Yuya-san to fight against." Rika commented. "It's considered by many as the ace of the _Sacred_ deck."

"T-This is Xyz…" Yuya muttered as he beheld the new Monster.

"Rank? Not a Level?" Tatsuya questioned.

"To Xyz Summon, you use a minimum of two Monsters with the same Level." Rika explained. "That allows you to Special Summon a Monster from the Extra Deck. That Monster is an Xyz Monster whose Rank is equal to the Level of the Monsters used as material. For example, _Sacred Pleiades_ is a Rank 5 Xyz Monster, so to summon it you need two Monsters that are both Level 5."

"What are those lights floating around it?" Ayu queried.

"Overlay Units." Rika answered. "Xyz Monsters use them to activate their effects."

"I'll end my turn with that." Hokuto concluded.

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Yuya called out as he began his turn. He then took two cards from his hand before revealing them to Hokuto. "I, using the Scale 1 _Astromancy Magician_ and the Scale 8 _Chronomancy Magician_ , set the Pendulum Scale!" As he slapped the cards on the opposite ends of his Duel Disk, a pair of columns of blue light rose up on either side of Yuya. At the same time, a pair of figures also rose up within the columns of light until they had risen high above the field; both were a pair of humanoid Monsters, magicians as was their namesake. One was clothed in white and blue with long blonde hair while the other was clothed in black and gold with reddish-brown hair. Both, however, seemed to resemble the _Black Magician_. "With this, I'm able to summon multiple Monsters with Levels 2 through 7 at the same time!" Yuya continued as a large pendant formed above the field.

"So this is Pendulum Summoning?" Ryuuji remarked with intrigue in his voice. "An interesting method, allowing you to summon several strong, high-Level Monsters at once. But the drawback would be losing much of your hand if you have enough Monsters that fit within the Scale range…"

" _ **Swing! Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monsters!"**_

A large portal then tore open in the sky, causing two masses of light to shoot down to the field, with each materializing into the form of a Monster. One was a fish with a body resembling a sword and a black pompadour along with a pair of sunglasses, while the other was a large red dragon with portions of its body covered in beige armor. On its back were a pair of curving spikes that each sported a crystaline sphere; one green and the other red. The most notable feature, however, was its heterochromic eyes that were green and red, much like the sphered on its back.

" _Entermate Sword Fish_!"

 **Entermate Sword Fish  
LV 2  
Mizu  
Fish/Effect  
ATK [ 600 ] / DEF 600**

"And _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon  
LV 7  
Yami  
Dragon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"I'm guessing that dragon is his ace." Kurogasa mused.

"What makes you say that?" Kurai questioned.

"Whatever the reason, I'm interested in this Pendulum Summon." Mion added.

"There it is!" Ayu cheered upon seeing Odd-Eyes.

"The shivers!" Futoshi added as he gyrated in a very odd manner.

"This is Pendulum Summon…" Himika muttered to herself.

"You're not going to use Xyz Summoning?" Hokuto questioned as if to goad Yuya.

"I'm not the one who attacked Sawatari!" Yuya replied back. "I've never used Xyz before."

"Oh well. Either way you won't be a challenge to me. Let me put this bluntly; you _will_ lose!" Hokuto shrugged. Yuya simply glared at the _Sacred_ duelist.

"I activate _Entermate Sword Fish's_ effect!" Yuya announced as his Monster split into seven before six of the copies flew over to Hokuto's field and planted themselves in the ground around _Sacred Pleiades_. "Once per turn, this card can lower the ATK of one of your Monsters by 600!"

 **[Sacred Pleiades - ATK: 2500-1900]**

"Alright!" Gongenzaka cheered. "Now _Odd-Eyes'_ ATK is higher!"

"Battle! I attack _Pleiades_ with _Odd-Eyes_!" Yuya declared as he hopped onto the back of his dragon before it charged forward and leapt into the air.

Hokuto smirked. "Hmph… This much was within my expectations." he said before pointing to his Monster. "I activate _Sacred Pleiades_ ' effect! Once per turn, by detaching an Overlay Unit, I can return one card on the field to its owner's hand! I choose _Odd-Eyes_!" The moment _Pleiades_ closed his fist around one of the Overlay Units, _Odd-Eyes_ began to glow before vanishing completely in a flash, leaving Yuya to fall to the ground.

" _Odd-Eyes_ is-!" Futoshi exclaimed.

"Yuya!" Yuzu gasped as the _Entermate_ duelist hit the ground on his back.

"Ow…" Yuya muttered as he stood up.

"He's gonna feel _that_ one in the morning." Kurogasa winced.

"Everything that you do is within my expectations." Hokuto spoke up with a smirk. "What will you do next?"

"Dammit…" Yuya muttered. "I can't beat _Pleiades_ with _Sword Fish_. There has to be something…" Just then, a gleam in the corner of Yuya's eye caught his attention. When he turned to the side, he saw a shooting star strike the side of the temple and let of a bright flash before fading away. Seeing what was left behind, Yuya hurriedly dashed towards the landing site.

"Going for an Action Card, are you?" the Sacred duelist mused. Acting quickly, he hopped onto _Pleiades_ ' shoulder and the pair flew forward, landing in front of Yuya before he could reach his goal. Hokuto then laughed as he dismounted his Monster. "Could it be you came here looking for this?" To add emphasis, Houto held up the Action Card Yuya had been aiming for.

"When did you-?!" Yuya managed to say amidst his surprise.

"This field is one I specialize in." Hokuto explained with a smirk. "The timing of the shooting stars that deliver the Action Cards, as well as their locations… I have it all memorized." Yuya hurriedly went for another Action Card that had appeared just seconds before, hoping he could outspeed Hokuto. However, just as he was about to reach it, _Pleiades_ once again landed in front of him and blocked his path.

"See? I told you it's futile." the _Sacred_ duelist chuckled as he approached from behind.

"Dammit…" Yuya muttered.

"This is bad. He's got Yuya completely read." Gongenzaka commented with a hint of worry.

"It looks like he wasn't lying when he said this field was his specialty." Kurai figured.

"Yeah, but… something just doesn't feel right." Kurogasa muttered.

"Except that it's entirely possible to memorize all of the locations Action Cards can spawn on a field if you use the same field enough times," Mion explained. "While the locations are indeed randomized every time an Action Field is activated, there are a finite number of areas where they can spawn in total. Hokuto likely spent most of his time on this particular field to do just that so he would have a distinct advantage whenever this field is used."

"She's right." Kurai spoke up. "I've done the same with a number of the more common Action Fields. Though I should also point something out, Kurogasa…" Kurai then turned to the _Gusta_ duelist. "I believe he _just mentioned_ that he had memorized everything about this field. And on top of that, there's no conceivable way to tamper with where Action Cards appear."

"Yuya! I'm sorry!" Shuzo apologized from the control room. "B-But keep burning! Hot-blooded!"

"Oh, and just to remind you, if you spend another minute or so without playing a card you'll be disqualified." Hokuto reminded his opponent. "If you don't want that to happen, then either continue the duel or end your turn."

"Tch… I Set one card. Tan endo." Yuya finished as a reversed card appeared in front of him.

"At the same time, _Sword Fish_ 's effect ends and _Pleiades_ ' ATK returns to normal." Hokuto pointed out.

 **[Sacred Pleiades - ATK: 1900-2500]**

"It seems this was a bad opponent for him to face." Himika mused with a faint smile.

"By the way, since mastering Xyz, I've now won forty matches in a row." the _Sacred_ duelist smirked. "So this will be number forty-one." And with that, he drew his next card. "Ore no tan! Battle! I attack _Sword Fish_ with _Pleiades_!" On cue, the white-armored warrior brought his sword down on the Fish-Type Monster, destroying it instantly and the shockwaves from the attack sending Yuya flying back again.

 **Hokuto LP:** 4000  
 **Yuya LP:** 4000-2100

"Yuya!" Yuzu exclaimed as Yuya once again fell hard onto his back.

"Man, not even the slightest bit of resistance…" Hokuto said in disappointment. "Sawatari must be slacking off to let someone like _you_ ambush him."

"I keep telling you I didn't do it!" Yuya snapped as he stood up again.

"I don't care. Either way, you'll all lose disgracefully and this school will become a part of LDS."

"No! I won't let you do that!" Yuya shot back.

"Then try and stop me. I'll Set one card. Tan endo."

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Yuya called out before taking two cards from his hand. "Let's do this again! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monsters!" Once more a portal opened up between Yuya's Pendulum Scales and two Monsters emerged from within. One was a small green toad wearing a top hat and a miniature suit, while the other was the returning _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_.

" _Entermate Turn Toad_!"

 **Entermate Turn Toad  
LV 2  
Mizu  
Water/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 0 / DEF [ 800 ]**

" _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon  
LV 7  
Yami  
Dragon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"Yuya! You've got to be more entertaining or else this will be boring!" Sora blurted out from the crowd.

"Now isn't the time for that!" Yuya replied back. "I intend to win this duel! I will-!" Just then, the Pendulum user caught sight of another Action Card spawning into the field, and thinking quickly, he hopped onto the back of his dragon once again. " _Odd-Eyes_!" Following his owner's orders, _Odd-Eyes_ charged off towards the site of the new Action Card.

"Showing his back to an enemy so quickly… your ace duelist is a bold one." Himika calmly commented.

"To think he'd do this…" Yuzu muttered.

"The thought that he has to protect You Show Duel School must be limiting Yuya." Gongenzaka figured.

"Yuya…"

"Over there is an Action Card!" Yuya said to himself as he drew closer to his goal.

"I activate _Sacred Pleiades_ ' effect! By using an Overlay Unit, I return _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ to your hand!"

Yuya gasped as he heard his opponent's declaration and watched helplessly as Odd-Eyes once again vanished in a flash of light, leaving him to fall and slide down the roof of the temple.

"That guy! He used it at that exact timing on purpose!" Gongenzaka said accusingly.

"Trap Card open! _Entermate Revival_!" Yuya said, acting quickly as he activates his Set card. "When one of my Monsters leaves the field, I can Special Summon an _Entermate_ Monster from my Cemetery!" In a matter of seconds, _Entermate Sword Fish_ appeared on the field once more, flying into Yuya's hand so he could use it as a spike to keep a hold on the roof of the stone structure.

 **Entermate Sword Fish  
LV 2  
Mizu  
Fish/Effect  
ATK 600 / DEF [ 600 ]**

"Well done!" Hokuto congratulated with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"That was dangerous, you know!" Ayu yelled at the Xyz user.

"So you'll do anything to win?!" Tatsuya questioned.

"That's cowardly!" Futoshi shot.

"Do you even have the slightest bit of honor in you?!" Kurogasa snapped.

"So you haven't given up yet…" Hokuto muttered, ignoring the spectators and instead focusing on his opponent as he hoisted himself onto the roof once more and ran to grab the Action Card he had been going after. "Action Magic, _Cosmo Arrow_ , activate!" the Xyz user smirked as he slapped the Action Magic into his Duel Disk, causing an arrow of light to shoot from the Magic Card and hit Yuya's newly-obtained Action Card with total precision and destroy it outright. "This card destroys one Magic Card my opponent obtains outside of drawing!"

"An Action Magic that can stop other Action Magics?!" Rena gasped.

"Not entirely, it can also be used to prevent the opponent from playing a potential Magic card they drew via a card effect if they can guess right," Ryuuji pointed out. "Though considering the sheer abundance of Action Magics, it's definitely a strong counter…"

"Oh, too bad!" Hokuto said mockingly as he stared up at Yuya. "And you'd just gotten it too."

"I'll end my turn." Yuya said in annoyance.

"Ore no tan! Draw!" the Sacred duelist said while beginning his turn. After seeing the card he drew, Hokuto smirked. "I summon _Sacred Sombres_!" Appearing next to Pleiades was a female figure clad entirely in white and gold armor with a blue cape flowing down her back and a pair of dark blue wing-shaped protrusions outlined by glowing gold lines.

 **Sacred Sombres  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Angel/Effect  
ATK [ 1550 ] / DEF 1600**

"Oh great, what's he up to now?" Kurogasa groaned, not liking where this was going.

"Since it's _Sombres_ , nothing good." Rika replied.

"I activate _Sombres_ ' effect!" Hokuto announced. "Once per turn, I can banish another _Sacred_ Monster in my Cemetery to add another one from my Cemetery to my hand! I banish _Gredi_ to add _Kaust_ to my hand!"

"I thought this would happen." Rika added as the turn progressed. "During the turn _Sacred Sombres_ activates its effect, the player is allowed to summon another _Sacred_ Monster from their hand."

"It has that kind of effect?" Rena asked in surprise.

"That girl seems to be very knowledgeable of this deck." Hokuto pointed out, having heard Rika's comments. "Of course, she's right. I can now summon _Sacred Kaust_!" Appearing on the field once more was the white-armored centaur.

 **Sacred Kaust  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Beast-Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 700**

"Two Monsters of the same Level… that means-!" Yuya managed to say.

"Not yet!" Hokuto interrupted. "I activate _Sacred Kaust_ 's effect! Twice per turn this card can increase the Level of a Sacred Monster on my field! I choose _Sombres_ and _Kaust_!" Once again the centaur fired a pair of arrows into the sky that shattered at their pinnacle and rained down a shower of light from above.

 **[Sacred Sombres - LV 4-5]  
[Sacred Kaust - LV 4-5]**

"Level 5… it can't be!" Yuya realized.

"Using _Sombres_ and _Kaust_ , I Overlay!" the Sacred duelist declared, confirming Yuya's suspicions as the two Monsters underwent the normal Xyz Summon process.

" _ **Light of the stars, come, descend and shake this very earth! Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Sacred Pleiades!"**_

Appearing next to _Pleiades_ was an exact replica of itself, though this new one had a full set of Overlay Units.

 **Sacred Pleiades  
Rank 5  
Hikari  
Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1500**

"Another _Pleiades_ …" Kurai muttered in surprise.

"You must have been planning to use up all my Overlay Units so I couldn't activate _Pleiades'_ effect anymore…" Hokuto summarized. "Too bad for you that was all within my expectations."

"As _you_ are within mine…" Sora muttered to himself.

"Now the conditions are all met!" Hokuto proclaimed as another card stuck out from his Extra Deck, which he took and slapped onto his Duel Disk overtop the _Pleiades_ without Overlay Units. "This card can be summoned by using a _Sacred_ Xyz Monster as the Overlay Unit!" On cue, _Pleiades_ transformed into a mass of golden light before flying into the newly-opened portal.

"Another Xyz…?!" Yuya repeated.

"It's an Xyz Change!" Rika gasped.

"Xyz Change?" Mion repeated.

"A special method of Xyz Summoning where you use an Xyz Monster as material for another Xyz Monster that's normally one Rank higher." Rika explained.

" _ **Rain down your dazzling light! Xyz Summon! Rank 6! Come forth, Sacred Ptolemys Messier 7!"**_

Appearing on the field and towering above all other Monsters was a large, mechanical dragon-like creature colored in silver and gold with a pair of large dark blue wings decorated with luminous golden lines sprouting from the sides of its head.

 **Sacred Ptolemys Messier 7  
Rank 6  
Hikari  
Machine/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2700 ] / DEF 2000**

"Pendulum Summoning being acquired by this school was simply a coincidental gift," Himika spoke up. "It's like I said, no matter who it is, joining with LDS is within their best interests."

"That's not for you to decide!" Kurogasa said.

"In this situation, I don't believe it's _your_ decision either." Himika answered coldly. "After all, you're just an outsider in this matter."

Meanwhile, on the field, Yuya caught sight of another shooting star off to his right just as it collided with the roof of another section of the sanctuary. Immediately, he hopped onto _Turn Toad's_ back and the two hopped off towards the location of the newly-spawned card.

"I have to admit, he may be able to rival me when it comes to navigating around the field in an Action Duel." Kurai remarked.

"Why do you say that, Kurai-kun?" Rena wondered.

"His Monsters," Kurai answered. "He's able to use them as ways to make moving around easier, whereas I don't have that advantage, save for my Dragon-Type Monsters."

"He never learns, does he…?" Hokuto pondered as he watched Yuya go for his prize. "I activate _Sacred Pleiades_ ' effect! By using an Overlay Unit, I'll return _Entermate Turn Toad_ to your hand!" Immediately, _Turn Toad_ vanished in a flash of light, causing Yuya to fall down, barely managing to grab the ledge of a piece of floating debris just in time and hoist himself up.

"Battle! I attack _Sword Fish_ with _Sacred Pleiades_!" the Xyz user declared as _Pleiades_ brought his sword down once again on the Fish-Type Monster, though at the same time the weapon inadvertently cut through the roof of the temple, causing it to begin to fall apart.

"Yuya!" Yuzu called out as the building started collapsing.

"Get out of there!" Kurai shouted. However, Yuya simply ran further into the collapsing structure.

"Is he nuts?!" Kurogasa gawked. Seconds later, the entire thing fell apart and fell to the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust in the process. Silence filled the area before a shape could be seen emerging from the obscurity. Just then, Yuya emerged while holding up an Action Card victoriously.

"Yuya!" Yuzu cheered.

"He did it!" Gongenzaka added.

"Impossible… You should have ran back there." Hokuto growled.

"If I do what I _should have_ it wouldn't be exciting, right?" Yuya answered with a smirk.

"That's Yuya!" Sora cheered.

"Burning!" Shuzo added.

"Yuya-oniichan!" Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya chimed in happily.

"Even so, it's over with this attack!" Hokuto pointed out as he pointed at his opponent. "I attack directly with _Messier 7_!" On cue, the mechanical dragon's wings lit up with golden light as it prepared to attack.

"Action Magic, _Twinkle Comet_ , activate!" Yuya countered as he slid the Magic Card into his Duel Disk. "Until the end of this turn, I can lower the ATK of an opposing Monster by 1000, as well as deal 500 damage to the other player!" On cue,m a black comet surrounded by a red aura shot forward and struck _Messier 7_ 's chest while discharging black lightning that weakened the Xyz Monster greatly. At the same time, some of the discharged power hit Hokuto to translate the damage. Nevertheless, the Xyz Monster continued with its attack, unleashing a wave of force from its wings that sent Yuya flying back.

 **Hokuto LP:** 4000-3500  
 **Yuya LP:** 2100-400

"Damn you…!" the Sacred duelist growled in anger. "Within my forty consecutive wins… you damaged my never before-touched Life Points!"

"I guess that was within my expectations, wasn't it…" Sora muttered. However, unknown to him, Naomi was subtly glaring at him from where she stood watching the duel.

"I activate the Permanent Magic, _Sacred Tempest_!" Hokuto yelled as he slapped the card into his Duel Disk. Just then, a cluster of meteors came raining down from the sky, destroying whatever they collided with, prompting Yuya to run to dodge the incoming projectiles. "This card can only be activated while there are two or more _Sacred_ Xyz Monsters on my field! At the end of my turn, your Life Points will be halved! And on that note I'll end my turn!" Despite Yuya's best efforts, he was caught within the shockwave of one meteor that managed to strike the ground near him, throwing him forward and tumbling across the ground.

 **Hokuto LP:** 3500  
 **Yuya LP:** 400-200

"I'll take you down in the next turn! No matter what it takes!" the Xyz user said with a sadistic grin.

"What do you think a duel is?!" Futoshi shouted at Yuya's opponent.

"That's right!" Ayu added.

"Silence!" Hokuto snapped. "A duel is a fight. If it's to win, you can't be picky about your methods."

"You're wrong!" Yuya retorted as he stood up. "I… don't want anyone to get hurt!" Yuzu gasped at Yuya's statement, recalling her encounter with the one that had assaulted Sawatari the day prior. Just then, she snapped back to reality as Yuya faced the observation room. "Ladies and gentlemen!" The Entertainment Duelist then spread his arms out while wearing a bright smile. "The fun has just begun! Ore no tan! Draw!" As Yuya drew his card, he smirked at what he found. "Alright! I summon _Entermate Trampolynx_!" Appearing on Yuya's field with a flip was a small purple cat-like creature wearing a tiny top hat and a small trampoline seemingly as a part of its body.

 **Entermate Trampolynx  
LV 2  
Chi  
Beast/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 300 ] / DEF 300**

"When this card is Summoned, I can return one card on my field to my hand." Yuya explained as he gestured to the white-clothed Monster in his Pendulum Zone. "I'll return _Astromancy Magician_ to my hand." On cue, the Magician-Type Monster vanished, as did the blue pillar it occupied as Yuya placed the Pendulum Monster in his hand.

"But then his Pendulum Summoning will be…" Tatsuya trailed off.

"Now step on up!" Yuya continued as he held up a new card. "The one who will be taking _Astromancy's_ place is… _Entermate Turn Toad_!"

"So you can replace cards that are set in your Pendulum Scale…" Kurai mused in thought.

"Now, your attention please!" Yuya continued. "I, using the Scale 3 _Entermate Turn Toad_ and the Scale 8 _Chronomancy Magician_ , set the Pendulum Scale!" Everyone watching gasped in confusion at Yuya's move while the _Entermate_ duelist placed the card on the opposite end of his Duel Disk, causing the green toad to appear in a new pillar alongside _Chronomancy Magician_. "With this, I'm able to summon multiple Monster from Level 4 to 7!"

" _ **Swing! Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monsters!"**_

For the third time, a portal opened between the two pillars, calling forth more of Yuya's Monsters.

"First, I'd like to welcome _Astromancy Magician_ back to the stage!" Yuya introduced as the white-garbed Magician appeared once more, this time in the Monster Zone.

 **Astromancy Magician  
LV 5  
Yami  
Magician/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 1200 ] / DEF 2400**

"And now he's summoning _Astromancy Magician_ as a Monster instead of using it for his Pendulum Scale?" Kurai questioned as everything unfolded before him.

"And it's time for the appearance of the star for today's event!" the Entertainment Duelist continued as another Monster took to the field. "With its ferocious but beautiful dual-colored eyes! _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon  
LV 7  
Yami  
Dragon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"I activate _Sacred Pleiades_ ' effect!" Hokuto quickly countered before pointing at Yuya's dragon. "By using an Overlay Unit, I'll return _Odd-Eyes_ to your hand! And with that, showtime is over!" On cue, _Odd-Eyes_ once again vanished in a flash of light.

"I think not! The main event will go on!" Yuya shot back while still smiling.

"What?"

" _Astromancy Magician's_ effect activates!" Yuya announced as the Pendulum Monster gained a blue aura. "When one of my Pendulum Monsters leaves the field, I can Special Summon that Monster! Another splendid entrance for _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!" Once more, the red dragon charged onto the field.

"He did it!" Futoshi cheered. "Now he can beat _Pleiades_ with _Odd-Eyes_ ' double damage effect!"

"She already told you that Xyz have Ranks, not Levels." Sora pointed out while gesturing to Rika. "And besides, _Odd-Eyes_ ' effect only doubles the battle damage, it doesn't actually increase its ATK."

"So Yuya-san can't win?" Satoko asked.

"Didn't he already say it? The fun has just begun." Sora answered.

"Now it's time for the climax!" Yuya declared as he pointed to the _Turn Toad_ in his Pendulum Zone. "I activate _Turn Toad_ 's Pendulum Effect!"

"Pendulum Effect?" Mion repeated. "So they have effects while being used as Pendulum Scales?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Kurai replied.

"Until the end of the turn, _Turn Toad_ can flip the ATK and DEF of one Pendulum Monster." Yuya explained as the toad jumped up and flipped over. "My choice is _Astromancy Magician_!" On cue, Astromancy gained another aura of bluish light to signify its power boost.

 **[Astromancy Magician - ATK: 1200-2400 / DEF: 2400-1200]**

"In addition I activate the Magic Card, _Magical Star Illusion_!" the Entertainment Duelist continued as he played the Magic Card. "As long as _Astromancy Magician_ remains on my field, all Monsters on each side of the field gain 100 ATK multiplied by their total respective Levels!"

"That means-!" Kurogasa realized.

"The Monsters on Yuya's field are…" Kurai trailed off as he went over the Monsters' Levels. " _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ 's 7, _Astromancy Magician_ 's 5, and _Entermate Trampolynx_ 's 2. So then…"

"All of Yuya-san's Monsters each gain 1400 ATK!" Satoko cheered as each of Yuya's Monsters gained considerable amounts of power.

 **[Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon - ATK: 2500-3900]  
[Astromancy Magician - ATK:2400-3800]  
[Entermate Trampolynx - ATK: 300-1700]**

"And since Xyz Monsters don't have Levels, they won't gain any ATK," Rika pointed out. "It can be both a flaw and an asset since they're also unaffected by card effects that restrain Monsters with Levels."

"So his opponent's Monsters won't gain any ATK!" Ayu realized as well.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Hokuto yelled while tears fell from his eyes.

"Heh, serves ya right." Kurogasa smirked smugly.

"Now then, shall we get started?" Yuya spoke up as he hopped onto _Odd-Eyes'_ back once more. "I use _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ to attack _Messier 7_! **Spiral Strike Burst!** " _Odd-Eyes_ then reared its head back and let loose a stream of blazing red energy that barreled towards _Messier 7_ and hit its mark, destroying the Monster easily and throwing Hokuto back from the force of the explosion.

 **Hokuto LP:** 3500-2300  
 **Yuya LP:** 200

"Next, _Astromancy Magician_ attacks _Sacred Pleiades_! **Horoscope Cutter!** " Yuya went on as Astromancy held its weapon in front of its chest before releasing a cluster of bluish stars that formed into an oddly-shaped constellation which sped towards the white warrior and cut it to pieces with ease.

 **Hokuto LP:** 2300-1000  
 **Yuya LP:** 200

"No! My forty-first consecutive win!" Hokuto yelled!

"And now for the finish! I attack directly with _Trampolynx_!" Yuya declared as the small purple cat ran forward and pounced on the _Sacred_ duelist, rolling into a pall in the process and capturing Hokuto in the trampoline on its back. Once it rolled back over and stood straight, Hokuto was sent flying into the nearby wall as his Life Points hit zero.

 **Hokuto LP:** 1000-0  
 **Yuya LP:** 200

As the field dissolved, Yuya took a deep breath and exhaled.

"That's one win." He said finally.

"He did it!" all the You Show students cheered.

"Hot-blooded!" Shuzo shouted in victory.

"Phew… I thought he was done for." Kurogasa sighed.

"Thank you, thank you!" Yuya laughed as his fellow students cheered for his victory.

"This guy… he's something else." Kurai remarked. "Who would have thought talent like this was here at a school like You Show." Seeing the grin on Kurai's face, Mion slapped her friend on the back.

"I guess you found someone new to compete with." she commented.

"Yeah… I sure would like to duel him someday." Kurai answered. "But for now… here's hoping they can get through this."


	6. Scale 5

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 5**

 **You Show Duel School's Crisis**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai, Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

Shortly after winning his match against Shijima Hokuto, Yuya left the dueling field to greet his friends. However, no sooner than he had crossed through the door…

"Yuya-oniichan!" Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi all cheered at once, prompting Yuya to turn around only to see the three kids running towards him before he found himself being tackled by all of them.

"You gave me the shivers!" Futoshi praised.

"Yuya-oniichan!" Ayu added happily.

"Yuya…" Gongenzaka muttered with a smile while tears of joy threatened to fall from his eyes. He then ran forward and bear-hugged his best friend. "Well done! As expected of the best friend of I, the man Gongenzaka! I was so moved!" Yuzu, on the other hand, stood back and watched the scene before her, still having doubts about her friend.

"Yuzu."

Yuzu blinked as her thoughts snapped back to reality at the sound of Yuya's voice.

"W-What?" she asked.

"You're up next, I'm counting on you."

"Yeah. Leave it to me." Yuzu answered. "You Show Duel School is riding on this. I'll definitely win."

"I can't believe you lost to a student from this miniscule Duel School." Himika berated the Sacred duelist as he sat on his knees with a slump. "You're making your title from LDS' Xyz course cry." Crossing her arms, the chairwoman smirked. "You're next." Just then, the tanned girl from before stepped out of the shadows and nodded.

"Of course, Chairwoman." she replied before walking towards the You Show students. Stopping in front of them, the group turned their attention to the LDS student. "I am Kotsu Masumi of LDS' Fusion Course."

"So she's a Fusion user?" Mion wondered to herself, though it caught the attention of her friends.

Taking a dark blue Duel Disk from a pouch at her waist, Masumi attached the device to her arm to activate it, revealing her Deck in the process. "Which one of you will be my opponent?" she questioned.

"I will." Yuzu said as she stepped forward, glaring at the Fusion user. Masumi chuckled with a smirk, flipping her hair to the side in the process with a flick of her wrist. And with that, both girls stepped out into the dueling field to prepare.

"A field that suits my cute daughter would be…" Shuzo muttered as he looked through the available list of dueling fields. "Alright, this one! Action Field on! Field Magic, _Crystal Corridor_ , activate!" As the Real Solid Vision system activated underneath the floor, the scenery around the girls changed entirely, soon becoming a brilliantly sparkling corridor that appeared to be taken from some sort of old-fashioned palace. Crystal platforms could also be seen that led to higher parts of the field.

"Yuzu! I picked a field that matches your sparkling cuteness!" Shuzo called out. "So shine on to your heart's content!"

"Dad…!" Yuzu muttered as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"To call someone like you dazzling…" Masumi chuckled. "... is some incredible nepotism."

"What was that?" Yuzu demanded.

"Your eyes have no luster." the Fusion user said plainly.

"W-Where did that come from?"

"My father is a jeweler, so I've seen gems my whole life… Ones that truly dazzle; _true_ gems." Masumi answered coldly. "That's why I can tell right now you have no shine to you. That's why I can tell right now that there's hesitation in you."

What's her problem?" Kurai wondered.

"Maybe she doesn't understand that it's just a father complimenting his daughter?" Kurogasa wondered.

"No, it's something else…" Ryuuji said. "She mentioned Yuzu's eyes… And according to some myths, the eyes are a window to the soul. Masumi can probably see into Yuzu's soul as a duelist…"

"I would know," Mion said while crossing her arms. "I was able to get the same vibes from all of you at first."

"Stop saying whatever you want!" Yuzu shot back. "I'll prove whether or not there's any hesitation in my heart or not in this duel!"

"Duelists locked in battle!" Yuya recited.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Gongenzaka added in.

"They storm through this field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! Action..." Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi said in unison.

"DUEL!"

 **Yuzu LP:** 4000  
 **Masumi LP:** 4000

"I'm going first!" Masumi spoke up as she began her turn. "I activate the Magic Card, _Gem-Knight Fusion_ from my hand! This card lets me use _Gem-Knight_ Monsters in my hand for a Fusion Summon!"

" _Gem-Knights_?" Mion repeated thoughtfully.

"You know these cards, Mii-chan?" Rena asked.

"I've done a little research on them in the past, naturally." Mion explained. "They tend to focus on rapid Fusion Summons and constantly recycling their cards."

"So they're similar to your _Elemental HERO_ cards." Kurai figured.

"But wait, she's using the cards in her hand when they haven't been Summoned yet." Kurogasa realized.

"Man, you don't even know _that_ much? You're hopeless..." Sora spoke up, looking at Kurogasa with a deadpan expression. "Using a Magic Card to fuse Monsters in your hand together for a Summon; that's what Hand Fusion is."

"Well excuse _me_ for devoting so much to Synchro Summoning…" Kurogasa grumbled, looking away while crossing his arms.

"And to that point, most Fusion cards allow for that anyways." Mion added.

"And on a rare occasion, some cards let you fuse from the Cemetery or even the deck, but in those cases the materials get banished," Satoko said smugly.

"And there's rumors of some cards that can use Monsters from the Extra Deck to perform Fusion as well," Ryuuji added.

"The cards in my hand I'll be fusing are _Gem-Knight Tourmaline_ and _Gem-Knight Emerald_!" Masumi announced as she held up a pair of Monsters in her hand. Immediately a duo of Monsters appeared on the field and took to the skies; one was a warrior clad in golden armor while the other was garbed in armor colored in emerald green.

" _ **Gem tinged with lightning! Emerald of good fortune! In a whirlpool of light, combine to create a new dazzling radiance! Fusion Summon! The one who pursues victory! Gem-Knight Paz!"**_

Descending from a vortex in the sky was a warrior clad in orange armor with gold edging and a green cape. In his hands was a set of axe-shaped tonfas.

 **Gem-Knight Paz  
LV 6  
Chi  
Thunder/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 1800**

"Okay, not to be insulting, but… that's it?" Kurogasa tilted his head in confusion.

"It's only the first turn, she can't do much else," Ryuuji pointed out.

"Not only that, but a lot of the _Gem-Knights_ aren't known for having high power." Mion added. "With… a few exceptions. Otherwise their effects can be pretty dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"I can't believe she managed to Fusion Summon on her first turn…" Yuzu breathed out in surprise.

"It seems that even with your eyes that lack a luster, you can see how great Hand Fusion is." Masumi mused. "I wouldn't underestimate it if I were you. How you deal with this Monster will decide this duel. I'll Set a card and end my turn."

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Yuzu called out as she drew her card. "I activate the Magic Card, _Solo - First Movement_! If I have no Monsters on my field, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Melodious Monster from my hand!" Yuzu then plucked a card from her hand and slapped it onto the card tray. "You're up! I Special Summon _Aria the Melodious Diva_!" In a storm of colorful music notes, a girl with pink skin and short purple hair wearing a dark brown and peach-colored dress materialized onto the field.

 **Aria the Melodious Diva  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Angel/Effect  
ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 1200**

"She uses _Melodious_ cards?" Kurai commented.

"You've heard of them, Kurai-san?" Rika asked her older friend.

"Kind of… I learned about them briefly during my general studies," Kurai explained. "I know they have very high potential for summoning Monsters quickly, but that's about it. As far as I know, they don't have any special Monsters within their archetype. Hm… Though they do have lots of ways to protect themselves too."

"If there's a _Melodious_ Monster on my field, I can Special Summon _Sonata the Melodious Diva_ from my hand!" Yuzu continued as she placed another card onto her Duel Disk, summoning a girl with lime green skin and long forest green hair wearing a blue dress.

 **Sonata the Melodious Diva  
LV 3  
Hikari  
Angel/Effect  
ATK [ 1200 ] / DEF 1000**

"Now the concert begins!" Yuzu declared as her two Monsters began to synchronize their voices. "I'm Tributing _Aria_ and _Sonata_ for an Advance Summon!"

" _ **Enchanting melody that echoes throughout the heavens, awaken the sleeping virtuoso! Come, Level 8! Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra!"**_

Emerging in a flash of light was a young pale-skinned woman with platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pair of wings sprouting from her back patterned after a sheet of music. The new Monster was also garbed in a red opera dress with orange highlights.

 **Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra  
LV 8  
Hikari  
Angel/Effect  
ATK [ 2600 ] / DEF 2000**

"There it is! Level 8!" Futoshi cheered while Tatsuya and Ayu jumped excitedly next to him. "It's Yuzu-oneechan's ace Monster!"

"She managed an Advance Summon pretty easily." Satoko noticed. "I guess her cards really do have a lot of summoning power."

"I'm not done yet!" Yuzu added with confidence in her voice. " _Prodigy Mozart_ can, once a turn, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Melodious Monster from my hand! Next up is _Canon the Melodious Diva_!" Appearing next to _Mozart_ was a girl with violet colored skin and indigo hair that stood up, wearing a dress in multiple shades of purple.

 **Canon the Melodious Diva  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Angel/Effect  
ATK [ 1400 ] / DEF 2000**

"Battle! I attack _Gem-Knight Topaz_ with _Prodigy Mozart_!" Yuzu announced as her Monster rose into the air. " **Graceful Wave!** " Mozart unleashed a wave of sound from her wings that smashed into Topaz with enough force to kick up an explosion around the knight, obscuring him from view.

 **Yuzu LP:** 4000  
 **Masumi LP:** 4000-3200

"How's that?" the _Melodious_ duelist goaded. "This is how I'll deal with your Monster!" However, Masumi merely chuckled to herself, confusing Yuzu for a brief moment. "I attack directly with _Canon the Melodious Diva_!" On cue, the indigo-haired Monster opened her mouth and unleashed a melody that brought cold air along with it, pushing Masumi back slightly

 **Yuzu LP:** 4000  
 **Masumi LP:** 3200-1800

"She did it!" Ayu cheered.

"The shivers!" Futoshi added.

"Good job, Yuzu!" Yuya praised his friend.

"I'll admit you have some skill," Masumi commented as she dusted herself off. "But don't think you've won just yet."

"Sore loser!" Yuzu retorted.

"You'll understand if I'm a sore loser or not during the next turn." the _Gem-Knight_ duelist shot back.

Glaring briefly at Masumi, Yuzu continued her turn. " _Canon_ can freely change her battle mode once a turn. I change _Canon_ to Defense mode and end my turn." she finished.

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Masumi called as she began her turn. Eyeing the card she drew, the Gem-Knight duelist smirked. "I summon _Gem-Knight Alexandrite_!" On cue, a knight in white and silver armor rose up from a portal in the ground, ready to fight.

 **Gem-Knight Alexandrite  
LV 4  
Chi  
Rock/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 1200**

"I don't like that smirk on her face…" Kurogasa frowned.

" _Gem-Knight Alexandrite's_ effect activates!" Masumi declared. "By sending this card to my Cemetery, I can Special Summon a _Gem-Knight_ from my Deck! I summon _Gem-Knight Crystal_!" Seconds later, _Alexandrite_ vanished, making way for a new knight clad in pure silver armor with crystals jutting out from his shoulders.

 **Gem-Knight Crystal  
LV 7  
Chi  
Rock  
ATK [ 2450 ] / DEF 1950**

"An ATK of 2450?" Rika questioned.

Once more, Masumi smirked to herself. "Trap Card, open!" She said. " _Fragment Fusion_! By banishing the Materials from my Cemetery, I can Fusion Summon a _Gem-Knight_ Monster!"

"I had a feeling…" Mion remarked. " _Gem-Knight_ decks are known for pulling this kind of thing."

"A Fusion Summon using Monsters in the Cemetery…" Naomi muttered.

"I choose to banish all three of these Monsters! _Gem-Knights Alexandrite_ , _Tourmaline_ , and _Emerald_!" the _Gem-Knight_ duelist continued as she pocketed the three Monsters in her Cemetery.

"Oh great what now?" Kurogasa groaned.

"Using _Gem-Knight Topaz's_ Fusion Materials in the Cemetery as well as _Alexandrite_ …" Sora mused while eating candy.

"Yeah, she's actually pretty good. I can see why she's one of LDS' top students." Mion added while watching the duel intently. Meanwhile, all three of Masumi's Monsters had appeared on the field and were flying into a vortex one by one.

" _ **Gem with facets of day and night! Gem tinged with lightning! Brilliant emerald of good fortune! In a whirlpool of light, combine to create a new dazzling radiance! Fusion Summon! Level 9! Come forth! One who illuminates all with its supreme radiance! Gem-Knight Master Dia!"**_

Appearing in a flash of light from within the vortex was a large, well-built knight clad in glimmering white armor lined with diamonds that glittered in even the slightest of light. Being stood up by the tip with one of his hands was a massive sword with several gems of different varieties encrusted into the black blade itself.

 **Gem-Knight Master Dia  
LV 9  
Chi  
Rock/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 2500**

" _Master Dia_ …" Mion muttered.

"Can I assume that's the ace of the _Gem-Knights_?" Kurogasa wondered.

"One of them, anyways." the _HERO_ duelist explained. " _Master Dia_ can be especially nasty if you get the proper cards in the Cemetery, from what I've heard."

"This is my _true_ ace Monster." Masumi proclaimed. "And now I use _Gem-Knight Master Dia's_ effect to banish the _Gem-Knight Paz_ in my Cemetery!"

"Banish? Why?" Yuzu questioned. Mion's eyes then widened in realization.

"She was aiming for _that_?!" she gasped.

"What is it, Mii-chan?" Rena asked.

"Gem-Knight Paz is able to attack twice during the Battle Phase, but that's not the worst of it…" the _HERO_ duelist answered.

"Wait, are you saying _Dia_ has the ability to use that effect?" Kurogasa said incredulously.

Mion nodded. "Once a turn, _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ is able to banish any Level 7 or below _Gem-Knight_ Fusion Monster from the player's Cemetery to gain its name and effects."

"Then it can have virtually any effects it wants to!" Kurai realized.

"No wonder it's named _Gem-Knight Master_." Kurogasa added.

"Watch out, Yuzu!" Yuya yelled to his friend on the field. "She's up to something!" Yuzu looked towards Yuya with wide eyes, as if surprised by something.

"You're pretty carefree, thinking you have time to look away," Masumi spoke up, earning Yuzu's attention again. "Battle! First, I'll attack your Defense mode _Canon_ with _Gem-Knight Crystal_!" Upon hearing the order, _Crystal_ leaned forward with its shoulders pointed at the _Melodious_ Monster, causing crystal shards to shoot out like gunfire, obliterating the girl in a matter of seconds. "Here comes the real deal! I attack _Prodigy Mozart_ with _Gem-Knight Master Dia_!" Despite her attempts to fight back against the charging knight, _Mozart_ too was cut down and destroyed.

 **Yuzu LP:** 4000-3700  
 **Masumi LP:** 1800

"Yuzu-oneechan's ace was taken out!" Ayu gasped.

"But still, she only took 300 damage." Futoshi pointed out.

"She's got more coming." Kurogasa said.

"Far more." Mion interjected. "First comes the _other_ effect she took from _Paz_."

"Your friend there is very well-informed." Masumi spoke up. "First is _Paz's_ effect. Whenever it destroys a Monster in battle, that Monster's owner takes its ATK as damage." In a matter of seconds, Yuzu was thrown back by a wave of force exuded from _Dia's_ palm, tossing her back against a pillar.

 **Yuzu LP:** 3700-1100  
 **Masumi LP:** 1800

"2600… that's huge damage." Tatsuya gasped in surprise.

"But she still has some Life Points left," Gongenzaka pointed out. "That means she-"

"Nope. Not possible." Sora interrupted, prompting the You Show students and Gongenzaka to turn to the younger boy. "It's over with this."

" _Gem-Knight Paz's_ second effect!" Masumi continued. "It can attack twice during the Battle Phase!"

"And now _Dia_ has that effect because it was banished earlier." Kurai added. "So she really will lose…"

"It ends here! Using _Gem-Knight Paz's_ effect, I make a direct attack with _Gem-Knight Master Dia_!" Masumi declared as her knight charged forward again. Yuzu looked around desperately, hoping for a way to avoid her loss. Just then, she caught sight of an Action Card a few feet away from her. Hurriedly, she scrambled up and ran to the card's location. However, the moment she reached out to grab it, her hand hit a solid surface. It took only seconds for her and everyone else to realize what had happened.

"No way… it was a reflection!" Satoko gasped.

"It sure looks that way." Ryuuji added. "She must have thought it was a real Action Card and went to go grab it."

"To be deceived by the reflection in the crystals…" Masumi mused while looking towards a bewildered Yuzu in disappointment. "…Your eyes must truly be clouded." As Yuzu gasped in realization, _Master Dia_ fired a beam of light from the tip of his sword, aimed directly at Yuzu. The blast struck the Melodious duelist and sent her flying back with a yell as her Life Points depleted.

 **Yuzu LP:** 1100-0  
 **Masumi LP:** 1800

"She's good…" Kurai breathed out.

"A One-Turn Kill…" Rika added in surprise.

"Yeah… even I'm not sure if I could beat her." Mion admitted.

"Oh man…" Kurogasa muttered, clenching his fist tightly. "That's just not right…"

"Yuzu!" Yuya called as he ran out onto the field to check on his downed friend. "Yuzu! Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere?"

"Y-Yeah…" Yuzu managed as she sat up.

"Oh, thank goodness…" Yuya added, but soon found the Melodious duelist crumpled against him. "Hey, are you sure you're alright?" Yuzu remained silent for a few seconds as several thoughts swam through her head.

"That's quite a show you two are putting on for us." Masumi suddenly remarked, reminding the pair she was still nearby. The two of them blinked before Yuzu stood up straight, her face having turned beet red at the implications of what Masumi had just said. Hurriedly, she pushed Yuya away and onto his backside.

"Ow… Where'd that come from?" Yuya said as he got up and rubbed his back.

"I-I'm sorry…!" Yuzu apologized.

"If you were just going to apologize, you didn't have to push me." Yuya deadpanned.

"It's just, it was such an important duel and I…"

"Don't worry! All we have to do is win the next one." Yuya reassured his friend while putting a hand on her shoulder.

"'All we have to do is win the next one'? You guys make it sound like it'll be easy."

Turning around, the pair saw someone leaning against the doorway into the field. The one in question was the sword-wielding student from before.

"You're…" Yuya said.

"I'm Todo Yaiba of the LDS Synchro Course." Yaiba introduced.

"Finally, something I can actually hope to follow for once." Kurogasa muttered.

"If he's their top student, he probably has some special tricks up his sleeve," Ryuuji mused.

"So, who's gonna be my opponent?" Yaiba questioned once everyone had convened back inside.

"Yuya-oniichan won and Yuzu oneechan lost…" Tatsuya recalled.

"So the score is 1-1." Futoshi added.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, would avenge Yuzu if I could, but…" Gongenzaka growled in frustration. "But with a duel with You Show Duel School on the line, and me being the successor to the Gongenzaka Dojo, I'm an outsider!" Gongenzaka then turned his attention to You Show's Fusion expert. " Listen, Sora! This is the moment of truth! It's all up to you!"

Sora just sat against the wall, licking his lollipop nonchalantly before he looked towards the built teen. "You know… I'm not really a fan of such stifling things." Sora said. "If you want, you can go out for the next duel, Gon-chan."

"G-Gon-chan?!" Gongenzaka gasped. But then it occurred to him. "I can go out?!"

"Is he serious?" Kurogasa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe he knows what Yaiba-san's deck is and knows he can't beat it? Maybe?" Rena wondered.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling I wouldn't be a good matchup for him." Sora continued to explain while glancing at Yaiba.

"So it's mostly a gut feeling then…" Satoko deadpanned. Yuya then walked up to his friend.

"It's up to you, Gongenzaka." he said. "If it's my best friend dueling, then I've got nothing to worry about."

"Yuya…" Gongenzaka muttered before steeling his resolve. "Alright, leave it to me! I swear on the name of the Gongenzaka Dojo's Steadfast Dueling that I _will_ win!"

"Hey!" Yaiba called over. "How long are you going to make me wait? Or are you scared and going to quit?"

"Unforgivable!" Gongenzaka snapped. "To treat a man such as I, Gongenzaka, as a coward! Your opponent will be me!" At that, the built teen placed a grey Duel Disk onto his arm and activated it.

"Let me tell you this first," Yaiba chuckled. "If you think I'm the same as those goody-two-shoes you just faced, you'll find yourself hurting. Because unlike those guys, I'm actually strong!"

"That Yaiba - he's talking about us like we're weak!" Hokuto growled.

"Sure, it's annoying, but since you lost you can't blame him, can you?" Masumi pointed out, prompting the _Sacred_ duelist to immediately crouch in a nearby corner and sulk.

Meanwhile, the two duelists had walked out onto the field just as Shuzo went to choose an Action Field.

' _So the opponent is Todo Yaiba…_ ' Shuzo mused to himself. ' _Blade… katana… sword...'_ Immediately feeling inspired, the teacher pressed a button on the console and activated a Field. "Action Field on! Field Magic, _Sword Cemetery_ , activate!"

In a matter of seconds, the scenery of You Show's dueling field was replaced by a vast desolate land devoid of any life, with swords of all kinds impaled into the ground as far as the eye could see.

"Gongenzaka-kun!" Shuzo called. "Use this sword graveyard to bury your opponent's blade!"

"Hiragi-san, if we win this, then You Show Duel School will become part of LDS. Do you agree to these conditions?" Himika spoke up.

"But if we win this, you aren't allowed to meddle with Yuya again." Shuzo added. The two adults stared at each other, reaching an unspoken agreement.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Shuzo recited energetically.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Himika added in.

"They storm through this field!"

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"

"Action..." Yuya and Yuzu said in unison.

"DUEL!"

 **Yaiba LP:** 4000  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 4000

"I'm going first! Ore no tan!" Gongenzaka said as he began his first turn. "I summon _Superheavy Samurai Kabuto_!" Placing the card on his Duel Disk, Gongenzaka summoned a large black, white, and bronze robot with gold horns on its head and carrying a hammer-like weapon.

 **Superheavy Samurai Kabuto  
LV 4  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1000 ] / DEF 2000**

"I end my turn with this." he finished.

"Just a Monster and that's it?" Yaiba goaded. "What a waste of a move."

"Truly strong men make no wasted moves." Gongenzaka shot back calmly.

"Do whatever you want then." Yaiba scoffed. "Ore no tan! Draw!" Looking at what he drew, the sword-wielding duelist smirked. "I summon _XX-Saber Boggarknight_!" Appearing next on the field was a tan-skinned warrior in dark silver armor, a red cape, and wielding a simple sword.

 **XX-Saber Boggarknight  
LV 4  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 1000**

" _X-Sabers_?" Rena tilted her head in thought.

"What's wrong with them?" Kurogasa questioned.

"I've researched these cards before." Rena explained. "They can be really aggressive when they want to. And naturally, they focus heavily upon Synchro Summons."

"When this card is summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _X-Saber_ from my hand." Yaiba explained as he took another card from his hand. "I summon _XX-Saber Fulhelmknight_!" Appearing next to _Boggarknight_ was a female knight with long blonde hair wearing a black and orange set of armor with a red cape and carrying a snake sword made of energy.

 **XX-Saber Fulhelmknight  
LV 3  
Chi  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 1000**

"Looks like they're probably also focused on swarming too, right Rena?" Kurogasa asked.

The SDS girl nodded. "They're able to place a lot of Monsters on the field in a short amount of time, which is what makes them so difficult to deal with." she explained. "I wonder how he'll use them, I wonder." She tilted her head in thought while putting a finger to her chin.

"A Tuner Monster?" Yuya wondered.

"At this time I activate _Superheavy Samurai Kabuto's_ effect!" Gongenzaka interrupted. "When my opponent Special Summons a Monster, I can change Kabuto to Defense mode, and until the end of the turn, his DEF increases by 500!" _Kabuto_ held its weapon in front of it while getting into a defensive stance, a blue aura expanding from its body to form a bubble shield around it.

 _ **[Superheavy Samurai Kabuto - DEF: 2000-2500]**_

"Not to be rude, but what's the point if Yaiba's gonna Synchro Summon an X-Saber to break through that DEF?" Kurogasa asked.

"Not many Level-7 Monsters have that kind of ATK, so Gongenzaka should be pretty safe," Ryuuji explained. "I was actually wondering why he'd summon it in Attack in the first place but that effect made up for it."

"Too bad for you!" Gongenzaka said. "You could have defeated _Kabuto_ if you hadn't Special Summoned. In this duel the one who makes needless mistakes will lose; don't forget it!"

"That's it, Gongenzaka!" Yuya praised. "Show him your Steadfast Dueling!"

"What's this Steadfast Dueling crap?" Yaiba scoffed while holding up another card from his hand. "I'm just getting started! Since there are two or more _X-Sabers_ on the field, I can Special Summon _XX-Saber Faultroll_!" Appearing next to its comrades was a muscular man with silver hair and armor covering most of his body and a large sword in hand. A pair of metallic objects resembling wings were attached to his back as well, letting him hover off the ground ever so slightly

 **XX-Saber Faultroll  
LV 6  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2400 ] / DEF 1800**

"He got out three Monsters so fast!" Tatsuya gasped.

"Amazing!" Futoshi added.

"Save your surprise for after you see _this_!" Yaiba said as he raised his hand skyward. "I tune the Level 4 _XX-Saber Boggarknight_ with the Level 3 _XX-Saber Fulhelmknight_!" On cue, _Fulhelmknight_ spunn with her snake sword outstretched until she broke into three green gates which encircled themselves around _Boggarknight_ , who changed into a set of four stars.

" _ **Wielder of crossed blades of light! Trample over this mountain of corpses! Synchro Summon! Come, Level 7! X-Saber Souza!"**_

Appearing in a flash of light was a muscular, dark-haired man clad in armor that covered most of his body save for his chest, with a tattered red cape flying behind him. In his hands the warrior carried two glimmering swords.

 **X-Saber Souza  
LV 7  
Chi  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1600**

"What is this?!" Futoshi gasped, completely surprised by the summon method.

"By tuning a Monster to another Tuner Monster, you can Special Summon a Monster whose Level is equal to the sum from your Extra Deck," Rena explained. "That's Synchro Summoning."

"So he combined a Level 3 and a Level 4 to summon a Level 7?" Yuya questioned.

"That's it!" Yaiba cut in. "But there's still more! XX-Saber Faultroll, once per turn, can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower X-Saber Monster from my Cemetery. The one I choose to summon is… XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" Impaling his sword in the ground, Faultroll opened a portal, calling back the blonde warrior wielding her snake sword.

 **XX-Saber Fulhelmknight  
LV 3  
Chi  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 1000**

"He revived a Tuner used in a Synchro using another Monster's effect!" Shuzo gasped.

"Level 6 and Level 3…" Rena looked over Yaiba's field, but then gasped as she realized what was going to happen. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong, Rena?" Kurai asked.

"I'm tuning my Level 6 Faultroll with the Level 3 Fulhelmknight!" Ya9iba declared as his Monster rose into the air to perform the same Synchro Summon process.

" _ **Let your silver armor shine! Crush the hope of all who oppose you! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 9! XX-Saber Gatmuz!"**_

Descending onto the field was a warrior in gold and silver armor with a tattered red cape and carrying a large broadsword that split into two parallel blades.

 **XX-Saber Gatmuz  
LV 9  
Chi  
Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 3100 ] / DEF 2600**

"What a guy…" Yuya muttered. "In a single turn he managed to Synchro Summon twice…"

"And now he actually has a Monster that can get through _Kabuto_ 's DEF…" Ryuuji pointed out. "What will Gongenzaka do in response?"

"What's wrong?" Yaiba goaded. "Scared speechless?"

"A man should stand firm, not panic, and not run around in an unseemly manner." Gongenzaka responded.

"Tch! I've heard enough!" Yaiba interrupted. "Then you won't mind if I go all-out then! Battle! I attack _Superheavy Samurai Kabuto_ with _XX-Saber Gatmuz_!"In one fell swoop, _Gatmuz_ leapt into the air and swung his sword in front of him, unleashing a wave of power directly at the mechanical kabuto, breaking through the latter's shield and destroying him. "How do you like the cutting edge of X-Sabers? I'm not done yet! Next is _X-Saber Souza_!" Yaiba's other Monster also leaped into the air, crossing his swords in front of his body before swinging them outward and unleashing an X-shaped blast of power that struck the _Superheavy Samurai_ duelist head-on. However, despite the attack, Gongenzaka stood firm and kept his footing, merely sliding back a few inches until the attack ceased.

 **Yaiba LP:** 4000  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 4000-1500

"Taking a direct attack from such a strong Monster and he barely budges…" Ryuuji mused to himself. "Just what kind of training does this guy go through?"

"I dunno, but that's crazy." Kurai added in surprise.

"Hot-blooded!" Shuzo cheered from the control room. "That's the foundation of our rival, Gongenzaka Dojo!"

"What are you talking about?" Yaiba questioned. "Tch… I set one card. Tan endo."

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Gongenzaka shouted as he drew his card, using an absurd amount of force that managed to kick up a small whirlwind. In the process, the windows separating the spectators from the field rattled slightly.

"Geez, we're on the other side of the glass and I _felt_ that!" Mion remarked in shock.

"This guy's nuts!" Satoko exclaimed.

' _It's here; the standard holder of my Steadfast Dueling.'_ Gongenzaka thought to himself. He then plucked another card from his hand and slid it onto the Duel Disk. " _Superheavy Samurai Scales_ can be Special Summoned when my opponent controls 2 or more Monsters." Jumping onto the field through a portal was a robot covered in armor plating of various shades of green and silver, with a golden crest on his forehead and a set of scales balanced across his back via a metal pole.

 **Superheavy Samurai Scales  
LV 4  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 800 ] / DEF 1800**

"And when it's Special Summoned I can Special Summon another _Superheavy Samurai_ Monster from my Cemetery! Be reborn! _Superheavy Samurai Kabuto_!" Gongenzaka continued as the dark-armored Machine-Type Monster from earlier returned to the field.

 **Superheavy Samurai Kabuto  
LV 4  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1000 ] / DEF 2000**

"Immovable like a mountain… I will show you the true form of steadfastness!" Gongenzaka said as he slapped another card onto his Duel Disk after removing _Kabuto_ and _Scales_. "I Tribute _Kabuto_ and _Scales_ to Advance Summon in Defense mode… _Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei_!" As Gongenzaka's two Monsters vanished, they were replaced by two pillars of bright green flames that slid together, colliding and creating an even larger pillar in their place. Emerging from the flames was a large, heavily-armored robot colored in black, orange, and white, wielding a weapon that resembled a tuning fork.

 **Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei  
LV 8  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1000 / DEF [ 3500 ]**

"But he Advance Summoned it in Defense mode! How?" Satoko questioned.

"What do you mean? What's so important about that?" Kurogasa asked while scratching his head cluelessly.

"The rules prevent any kind of Normal Summoning in face-up Defense," Rika explained. "That includes Advance Summoning."

"Oh…" Kurogasa replied.

"That aside, are you guys seeing the numbers I'm seeing on this thing?" Kurai spoke up.

"Yeah… That thing's got some crazy DEF…" Ryuuji noted. "I've actually been noticing that with all of his Monsters so far, being so focused on high DEF and low ATK. At the very least, none of Yaiba's Monsters can get through it in a head-on fight."

"An Advance Summon in face-up Defense?! How?!" Yaiba demanded.

"Being able to be Advance Summoned in face-up Defense mode is one of Benkei's powers." Gongenzaka explained.

"So what if it can?" Yaiba scoffed.

"By not moving it will win!" Gongenzaka declared. "That is the core principal of Steadfast Dueling!"

"So his deck really is pure defense…" Mion figured. "It's based around stalling the opponent out by having such enormous DEF that nothing can get through them."

"Battle! I attack _XX-Saber Gatmuz_ with _Big Benkei_!" Gongenzaka announced.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Mion gawked.

"It can _attack_ while in Defense?!" Ryuuji questioned in surprise.

"This guy's deck defies all logic!" Kurai added.

"Attacking in Defense mode?!" Yaibi gasped.

" _Big Benkei_ can attack while in this mode," Gongenzaka explained. "And it can use its DEF as its ATK!" On cue, Benkei jumped up and slammed his fist into the ground, conjuring a wave of flames that shot towards _Gatmuz_ along the ground. In a matter of seconds, the XX-Saber was consumed by the attack and burst apart into nothing.

 **Yaiba LP:** 4000-3600  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 1500

' _Alright! With this my defense is set up.'_ Gongenzaka thought to himself as he glanced at the cards in his hand. "I end my turn with that!"

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Yaiba called as he began his turn. Eyeing what he drew, the _X-Saber_ duelist acted quickly. "I summon _XX-Saber Boggarknight_!" Appearing on the field was a carbon copy of one of Yaiba's first Monsters.

 **XX-Saber Boggarknight  
LV 4  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 1000**

"When _Boggarknight_ is summoned I can Special Summon another Level 4 or lower X-Saber!" Yaiba explained as he slapped another card onto the card tray. "I summon _XX-Saber Ragigura_!" Appearing next to _Boggarknight_ was a short, green-skinned lizard man wearing dull grey armor and a red cape while carrying a pair of daggers in his hands.

 **XX-Saber Ragigura  
LV 1  
Chi  
Beast-Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 200 ] / DEF 1000**

"When _Ragigura_ is Special Summoned I can add an _X-Saber_ Monster from my Cemetery back to my hand." Yaiba explained as a card slid out from the Cemetery, which Yaiba took. "I add _Faultroll_ back to my hand." He then slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. " _Faultroll_ can be Special Summoned when there are two or more _X-Sabers_ on my field!" At the same time, _Faultroll_ once again returned to the field.

 **XX-Saber Faultroll  
LV 6  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2400 ] / DEF 1800**

" _Faultroll's_ effect! I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _X-Saber_ from my Cemetery!" Yaiba continued.

"Another Special Summon?" Ayu deadpanned.

"It's like he's playing by himself…" Futoshi added.

 _Faultroll_ impaled his sword into the ground, creating a portal for another Monster to emerge from. "Return to us! Tuner Monster, _XX-Saber Fulhelmknight_!" Yaiba called out as his female knight Monster returned to the field and stood alongside her allies.

 **XX-Saber Fulhelmknight  
LV 3  
Chi  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 1000**

" _Fulhelmknight_ and _Faultroll_ …!" Rena gasped. "No! He's-!'

"That's right!" Yaiba cut in as he raised his hand skyward. "I tune my Level 6 _Faultroll_ to my Level 3 _Fulhelmknight_!" Once more, Yaiba's Monsters underwent their normal Synchro Summon process.

" _ **Let your silver armor shine! Crush the hope of all who oppose you! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 9! XX-Saber Gatmuz!"**_

Descending onto the field was an exact lookalike of the previously defeated _Gatmuz_ , standing alongside its ally Synchro Monster.

 **XX-Saber Gatmuz  
LV 9  
Chi  
Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 3100 ] / DEF 2600**

"No way… the _Gatmuz_ he just defeated…" Yuzu said.

"But his ATK is only 3100; he's no match for _Benkei_." Yuya pointed out.

"You've got that right!" Yaiba shot as he took off to the left while pulling out his wooden sword. With a single, powerful swing, Yaiba managed to stir up a small gust of wind that blew an Action Card off of the ground and into reach for the shorter duelist. "But this will decide what happens!" Grabbing the card, Yaiba smirked. "A card that can get me out of this mess! I activate the Action Magic, _Extreme Sword_! This increases the ATK of one of my Monsters by 1000 during battle!"

 _ **[XX-Saber Gatmuz - ATK: 3100-4100]**_

"Battle! I attack _Big Benkei_ with _Gatmuz_!" Yaiba declared as his Monster fired a wave of energy from its powered-up blade that barreled at _Big Benkei_ , hitting the mechanical Monster and making it erupt in a large explosion.

" _Big Benkei_!" Yuzu gasped.

"But it was in Defense mode, so Gongenzaka won't take any damage." Yuya pointed out.

"How naive!" Yaiba scoffed, pressing a button on his Duel Disk. "Trap Card, open! _Meteor Rain_! Any Monster in Defense mode that's attacked this turn suffers piercing damage! I'll have you take that 600 damage!"

 **Yaiba LP:** 3600  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 1500-900

However, as the smoke from the previous explosion dissipated, everyone watching was shocked to see that _Big Benkei_ was, in fact, still standing completely unharmed.

"Wha…? But how?" Yaiba gasped.

"When _Big Benkei_ was attacked, I sent _Superheavy Samurai Soulfire Suit_ to the Cemetery." Gongenzaka explained. "By sending it to the Cemetery, it negates the destruction of a Level 5 or higher _Superheavy Samurai_."

"Tch… So you sacrificed your hand to protect your ace." the _X-Saber_ duelist figured.

"But the Monster whose destruction was prevented by _Soulfire Suit_ loses 800 DEF." Gongenzaka added.

 _ **[Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei - DEF: 3500-2700]**_

"It's DEF went down…" Kurai noted thoughtfully.

"But it should be fine as long as its DEF is higher than _Souza's_ ATK." Rena commented.

"Let's see how that works out with this!" Yaiba retorted while taking out his practice sword and giving it another strong swing, blowing another Action Card into view, though to his surprise, it began floating towards Gongenzaka. "Damn, it went towards him!" With that, Yaiba hurriedly ran towards his opponent, trying to grab the Action Card first.

"If he gets that…" Tatsuya gasped.

"Run, Gongenzaka!" Futoshi yelled.

"I will not move." Gongenzaka replied calmly, much to everyone's shock.

"But why?! That Action Card could help him!" Satoko said.

"Then it's all mine!" Yaiba smirked as he jumped up and took hold of the card, grinning victoriously as he did so. "Alright, I'm lucky today. I'll activate _Extreme Sword_ again, boosting _Souza's_ ATK by 1000!"

 _ **[X-Saber Souza - ATK: 2500-3500]**_

Once more, the _X-Saber_ Monster crossed its swords and swung them out wide, sending another wave of force towards Gongenzaka's lone Monster. Despite being caught in another large explosion, _Benkei_ remained on the field.

"Because of _Soulfire Suit's_ effect, _Big Benkei_ isn't destroyed!" Gongenzaka reminded.

"But you still take damage with _Meteor Rain's_ effect!" Yaiba retorted as his Trap Card glowed. Flames erupted around Gongenzaka as a result of the explosion, this time managing to toss the Superheavy Samurai duelist onto his back as his Life Points decreased.

 **Yaiba LP:** 3600  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 900-100

"And the Monster protected with _Soulfire Suit's_ effect has its DEF reduced by 800, right?" Yaiba goaded as _Benkei_ grew weaker.

 _ **[Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei - DEF: 2700-1900]**_

"But at the end of the Battle Phase, _Souza_ and _Gatmuz's_ ATK return to normal." Gongenzaka grunted as he stood back up.

 _ **[XX-Saber Gatmuz - ATK: 4100-3100]  
[X-Saber Souza - ATK: 3500-2500]**_

"So you managed to survive using the Monsters in your hand," Yaiba commented. "For a big guy, those are some pretty small-minded tactics."

"That's just how the deck I believe in saved me."

"Well then, I'll put an end to those cunning tricks!"

"That can only mean one thing," Rena realized.

"I Tribute _Boggarknight_ and activate _Gatmuz's_ effect!" Yaiba announced as one of his Monsters vanished. "I can send one card in my opponent's hand to the Cemetery!"

"What?!" Gongenzaka gasped as one of the cards in his hand glowed, forcing him to slide it into his Cemetery.

"Ah! Gongenzaka's hand is-!" Futoshi gasped.

"I'll have you get rid of that other card too!" Yaiba cut in as he Tributed Ragigura as well, forcing Gongenzaka to discard his final card.

"Just making his opponent get rid of his entire hand like that?!" Kurogasa gawked. "That's broken!"

"With this your hand is at zero. Now you've got nothing left to do. I set a card. Tan endo." Yaiba finished as a reversed card appeared in front of him.

"Ore no tan!" Gongenzaka called as he drew his next card. "I summon _Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall_!" Appearing on the _Superheavy Samurai_ duelist's field was a green riot shield with a set of thrusters on the bottom.

 **Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall  
LV 3  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1200 ] / DEF 1200**

"This card can be equipped to a _Superheavy Samurai_ I control and increase its DEF by 1200!" Gongenzaka explained as _Benkei_ took hold of the armament and held it in front of him.

 _ **[Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei - DEF: 1900-3100]**_

"An interesting take on Unions," Ryuuji noted. "Though considering the cards, makes sense they'd still focus on DEF."

"To think you'd draw a Monster that could give you a power-up; you're one lucky bastard." Yaiba remarked.

"I didn't draw that Monster with just luck." Gongenzaka replied. "My deck understood my determination! Battle! I attack _X-Saber Souza_ with _Big Benkei_!" Leaping into the air and using the thrusters on his new weapon to give him a boost, _Big Benkei_ slammed his fist into the ground hard enough to send a torrent of flames right at _Souza_ , leaving the armored warrior no time to protect himself as he was consumed by the attack from the Machine-Type Monster.

 **Yaiba LP:** 3600-3000  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 100

"He did it!" Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi cheered.

"That's it, Gongenzaka!" Yuya added.

"Tch! Now you've done it you stubborn bastard!" Yaiba snapped. "Trap Card, open! _Gatmuz's Emergency Call_! If there's an _X-Saber_ Monster on the field, this card lets me Special Summon 2 _X-Saber_ Monsters from my Cemetery! Be reborn! _X-Saber Souza_! _XX-Saber Ragigura_!" Leaping out from a portal in the ground were two of the Monsters that had just left Yaiba's field.

 **X-Saber Souza  
LV 7  
Chi  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1600**

 **XX-Saber Ragigura  
LV 1  
Chi  
Beast-Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 200 ] / DEF 1000**

"And with _Ragigura's_ effect, _Faultroll_ returns to my hand." Yaiba added as he took another card from his Cemetery.

"And he'd just gotten rid of _Souza_ too…" Kurai commented.

"And on top of that, he got _Ragigura_ to add _Faultroll_ back to his hand." Rena remarked. "Being able to summon Monsters whether it's your turn or not, and as a result turning the tides so easily… that's what makes _X-Saber_ decks so powerful."

"With his Life Points at 100 and his hand at zero, Gon-chan doesn't have a chance to win, does he?" Sora commented.

"Not, it's not over." Yuya said, noticing his friend's determined expression out on the dueling field. "He hasn't given up yet."

"Ore no tan! Draw!" Yaiba said as he drew his new card. He then held up Faultroll to reveal it to everyone. "Hey! You remember this guy, right?"

" _XX-Saber Faultroll_ …" Gongenzaka grunted. "If you have two or more _X-Saber_ Monsters on your field, it can be Special Summoned."

"That's right!" Yaiba grinned. "And _since_ I have two or more _X-Sabers_ on my field, I'll Special Summon _Faultroll_!" For the third time, _Faultroll_ once again made his appearance on the _X-Saber_ duelist's field.

 **XX-Saber Faultroll  
LV 6  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2400 ] / DEF 1800**

" _Faultroll's_ effect! I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _X-Saber_ from my Cemetery!" Yaiba continued. Once more, _Faultroll_ impaled his sword into the ground, creating a portal for another Monster to emerge from. "Return to us! Tuner Monster, _XX-Saber Fulhelmknight_!" Yaiba called out as his female knight Monster returned to the field and stood alongside her allies.

 **XX-Saber Fulhelmknight  
LV 3  
Chi  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 1000**

"With _Faultroll_ and _Fulhelmknight_ on the field, he can…!" Rena gasped as she realized what was going to happen next.

"That's right! I tune Level 6 _Faultroll_ and Level 3 _Fulhelmknight_!" Yaiba declared as his Monsters rose into the air for the third time and performed their Synchro Summon process. "It's a double showing of the X-Sabers' strongest, _Gatmuz_! Enjoy it! Synchro Summon! _XX-Saber Gatmuz_!" Appearing on the field in a flash of light was an exact copy of the already-present _Gatmuz_.

 **XX-Saber Gatmuz  
LV 9  
Chi  
Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 3100 ] / DEF 2600**

"Next I'll activate _Souza's_ effect and Tribute _Ragigura_!" Yaiba continued as the lizard man vanished from the field, earning a confused look from Gongenzaka. "Your face has 'why did he do that?' written all over it! You'll find out soon enough! Battle! I attack _Big Benkei_ with _Souza_!"

"But why would he when _Souza_ has lower ATK?" Tatsuya questioned.

"By Tributing an _X-Saber_ Monster, _Souza_ gains an effect! When he battles during this turn, he can destroy any Monster he battles!" the Synchro user explained confidently.

"I activate _Soulshield Wall's_ effect!" Gongenzaka countered as the riot shield vanished from Big Benkei's hands. "By sending it to the Cemetery, I can negate an attack on the Monster it was equipped to, and then its DEF becomes 0!" Before Souza could undergo its attack, it stopped short, keeping the _Superheavy Samurai_ safe from harm.

 _ **[Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei - DEF: 3100-0]**_

"Dammit!" Yaiba growled. "But without that DEF, your Monster is nothing! I'll end this with my two remaining _Gatmuz_!" Yaiba then pointed to _Benkei_. "I attack your Monster with my first _Gatmuz_!"

"That's what I was waiting for!" Gongenzaka suddenly shouted.

"What?"

"From the Cemetery, I activate _Superheavy Samurai Soulbreaker Armor's_ effect!" the Steadfast Duelist announced.

"Y-You activated it from the Cemetery?!" Yaiba exclaimed. He then gasped as he saw a card slide out from Gongenzaka's Cemetery, with the latter holding it up for all to see. "No way! It can't be…!"

"That's right! This is one of the cards you made me discard with _Gatmuz's_ effect! This card's true power is revealed here in the Cemetery!" Gongenzaka explained as he pocketed the card. "When there are no Magic or Trap Cards in my Cemetery, I can deal the difference between the current DEF and original DEF of one of my Monsters that's being attacked as damage to the opponent!"

"What?!" Yaiba gawked.

"His deck runs only on _Monsters_?!" the students of Summoners Duel School shouted in realization after Gongenzaka explained his card's effect.

"Wait… _Big Benkei's_ original DEF was 3500…" Satoko realized.

"And now it's at 0!" Rika gasped.

"That's 3500 damage from a single card!" Ryuuji explained in shock, his jaw hanging open and his lollipop falling out of his mouth onto the floor. Likewise, Sora stood off to the side, in very much the same condition as Ryuuji, but not saying a word as he tried to process the move Gongenzaka had pulled.

"Who… who _is_ this guy?!" Kurai asked.

"The conditions for this comeback were having no Magic or Trap Cards in his Cemetery," Yuya explained. "That's why Gongenzaka didn't _put_ any Magic or Traps into his deck and filled it with _only_ Monsters."

"But… it's impossible for a deck to function like that!" Kurogasa said in denial, everything he knew about Duel Monsters completely turned on its head now.

"... Clearly it's possible, and he just did it." Mion said, finally getting over her shock. "This Gongenzaka fellow just did the impossible…"

"..." Rena just stood there in complete silence, still trying to process what just happened.

"So… that's why he didn't take that Action Card before…" Kurai managed to say.

"That's right, since Action Cards count as Magic Cards." Gongenzaka spoke up. "This is the true strength of Steadfast Dueling!"

On the playing field, _Soulbreaker Armor_ fired off the red glowing spheres that orbited it, acting as projectiles. "You made some pretty interesting plays…" Yaiba smirked. "I activate the Instant Magic, _Saber Reflector_! While I have an _X-Saber_ Monster on my field, this negates the effect damage and deals it to my opponent instead!" On cue, a force field formed around _Souza_ , protecting not only him, but the Synchro user as well.

"That guy! He still had an option?!" Yuya gasped.

"This is the end!" Yaiba shouted as a massive beam of pure energy was discharged from _Souza's_ force field, shooting towards Gongenzaka at blinding speed.

"I activate the effect of _Superheavy Samurai Soulbang Cannon_ from my Cemetery!" Gongenzaka countered as he slid another card out from his Cemetery slot and pocketed it.

"Another card I had sent to the Cemetery with _Gatmuz's_ effect!" Yaiba gasped in realization.

"While I have no Magic or Trap Cards in my Cemetery, I can banish this card…" Gongenzaka explained. "And negate effect damage from an opponent's card effect!"

"You negated the damage I reflected?!" Yaiba shouted in realization as a blue robot with golden arms and legs materialized in front of Gongenzaka and began absorbing the oversized attack from Yaiba's field.

"Furthermore, it destroys all Monsters on the field and deals damage to both of us equal to the total Levels of the destroyed Monsters times 100!" the Superheavy Samurai duelist added as _Soulbang Cannon_ continued to absorb the attack until finally the onslaught ceased. Lightning surged around and out from the mechanical Monster as a fierce gale kicked up on the field from the massive energy buildup.

"Their total Levels are 33!" Yaiba realized.

"That's 3300 damage to both of us." Gongenzaka said evenly as the _Soulbang Cannon_ finally imploded upon itself, unleashing a massive explosion throughout the field that destroyed everything in sight, even going as far as to throw both duelists several feet back and onto the ground. When the smoke finally cleared, both duelists were laying on the ground, the field totally barren. As the field faded away, both players' Life Points were depleted in their entirety.

 **Yaiba LP:** 3000-0  
 **Gongenzaka LP:** 100-0

 **-DRAW-**

"Gongenzaka!" Yuya called out as he ran into the dueling field and knelt beside his friend. "Are you alright? Keep it together!"

"I'm sorry," the _Superheavy Samurai_ duelist said as he sat up. "Even with my Steadfast Dueling, I couldn;t beat him."

"What are you saying?" Yuya queried. "It's thanks to you that we managed to get a draw, Gongenzaka."

"The result of the match was one win, one loss, and one draw…" Kurai noted.

"Chairwoman," Shuzo spoke up through the intercom. "You said you would take this Duel School if you won the best of three. But it ended in a draw; I would kindly ask you to leave."

"... What are you saying?" Himika finally said. "This was meant to settle everything. There can be no draws."

"Well yes, but… the duel did actually end in a draw, though." Shuzo pointed out in confusion, unsure what the Chairwoman of the Leo Corp. was getting at.

"A tiebreaker!" Himika declared. "We'll settle this with our two duelists that have one victory! Is that alright with you?"

"You can't just-" Shuzo started, but paused when he saw Yuya walk in front of the others, facing the LDS group with his eyes hidden behind his goggles.

"Yuya…" Yuzu muttered.

"It seems you're up for it." Himika remarked. "Then we shall-"

"Wait."

Everyone turned around to see a new person wearing a dark blue shirt, white pants, and a black-and-red hoodie stepping out from behind a corner. The young man in question pulled off his hood, revealing his short silver hair and red, thick-rimmed glasses. Yuya turned as well to look towards the young man.

"I'll end this." The newcomer said plainly.


	7. Scale 6

**4ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 6**

 **DDD: King of the Different Dimension**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai, Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

"Gongenzaka!" Yuya called out as he ran into the dueling field and knelt beside his friend. "Are you alright? Keep it together!"

"I'm sorry," the _Superheavy Samurai_ duelist said as he sat up. "Even with my Steadfast Dueling, I couldn't beat him."

"What are you saying?" Yuya queried. "It's thanks to you that we managed to get a draw, Gongenzaka."

"The result of the match was one win, one loss, and one draw…" Kurai noted.

"Chairwoman," Shuzo spoke up through the intercom. "You said you would take this Duel School if you won the best of three. But it ended in a draw; I would kindly ask you to leave."

"... What are you saying?" Himika finally said. "This was meant to settle everything. There can be no draws."

"Well yes, but… the duel did actually end in a draw, though." Shuzo pointed out in confusion, unsure what the Chairwoman of the Leo Corp. was getting at.

"A tiebreaker!" Himika declared. "We'll settle this with our two duelists that have one victory! Is that alright with you?"

"You can't just-" Shuzo started, but paused when he saw Yuya walk in front of the others, facing the LDS group with his eyes hidden behind his goggles.

"Yuya…" Yuzu muttered.

"It seems you're up for it." Himika remarked. "Then we shall-"

"Wait."

Everyone turned around to see a new person wearing a dark blue shirt, white pants, and a black-and-red hoodie stepping out from behind a corner. The young man in question pulled off his hood, revealing his short silver hair and red, thick-rimmed glasses. Yuya turned as well to look towards the young man.

"I'll end this." The newcomer said plainly.

"He put his goggles on…" Tatsuya noticed as Yuya looked towards the newcomer with extreme intensity.

"Yuya-oniichan…" Ayu muttered.

"Yuya…" Yuzu looked towards her friend worriedly.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, have realized my cowardice…" Gongenzaka added as he looked towards the _Entermate_ duelist. "If only I'd won my match, I wouldn't have put this needless pressure on you."

"I don't know about that," Sora mused. "He doesn't look like he's under that much pressure to me. In fact, he looks like he's all ready to fight."

"This is the real final match…" Yuya muttered. "I'll win and protect the Duel School! And Dad's dueling!"

"Y-Yuya…" Gongenzaka said, surprised by Yuya's determination.

"That's right! Yuya-niichan will definitely win!" Tatsuya chimed in.

"After all, we've got Pendulum Summoning on our side!" Futoshi said.

"There's no way Pendulum Summoning could lose!" Ayu joined in with her friends.

"Yuya-niichan will definitely protect You Show-" Tatsuya continued.

"I wonder about that…" Himika interrupted. "You all don't seem to know how strong Reiji-san is."

"Reiji?" Shuzo repeated to himself from within the control room.

"That's enough cheering for now, isn't it?" Reiji suddenly spoke up. "For now I'd prefer you stay quiet and just watch my duel with him."

"Hey, does this guy look familiar to you?" Mion whispered to her friends.

Ryuuji stared at the newcomer, his eyes widened in surprise, "Isn't that Akaba Reiji, the CEO of Leo Duel School?"

"What? There's no way…" Kurai replied as he looked towards Reiji and Yuya, the pair walking out onto the field. "But what's he doing here if that's the case?"

"Whatever the reason, he sure wants to duel Yuya-san." Rika commented.

Out on the field, both duelists had taken their positions across from each other, with Yuya glaring at Reiji the entire time.

"This is scary…" Ayu said as she scooted closer to Yuzu.

"What's gotten into Yuya…" the _Melodious_ duelist wondered to herself.

"He's concentrating on the duel." Gongenzaka figured, having heard Yuzu's remark.

"But… that's not Yuya at all…" Yuzu then stepped forward to the observation window. "Yuya, laugh!" The _Entermate_ duelist looked towards his friend in confusion. "You Show Duel School is all about bright smiles and entertaining duels, right? So don't forget to smile!"

"Smile…" Yuya muttered before chuckling and sliding his goggles up. "That's right. Bright and entertaining duels is my motto. I can't forget that much… Alright, I'll show you the best smile and the best duel!" At that declaration, the younger You Show students cheered, seeing Yuya smile again.

"Hmph… I wonder how long he'll be able to keep smiling…" Himika remarked.

"What do you want to do about the Action Field?" Yuya asked his opponent.

"Choose whatever you want." Reiji answered calmly. Yuya nodded up towards Shuzo in the control room, to which the principal of You Show understood what he wanted.

"Action Field, on! Field Magic, _Athletic Circus_ , activate!" Shuzo announced as he pressed a button on the control panel, causing the scenery around them to change into the interior of a large circus tent with overhead lights all focused on the center platform. Yuya and Reiji both now stood on raised platforms at opposite ends of the stage.

"This field is Yuya's forte." Gongenzaka noted.

"This is all I can do. The rest is up to you, Yuya." Shuzo said.

"Thanks, Principal." Yuya nodded before looking back to Reiji.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Yuzu recited.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Tatsuya added.

"They storm through this field!" Futoshi continued.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" Ayu declared.

"Action…" All four said in unison.

"DUEL!"

 **Reiji LP:** 4000  
 **Yuya LP:** 4000

"As thanks for letting me pick the field, I'll let you go first." Yuya offered.

"'Thanks'? 'Let me'?" Reiji repeated. "I understand. So that's how you think… Fine, I'll accept your offer… Watashi no tan. I activate three Magic Cards from my hand." Reiji then took one card from his hand and placed it into his Duel disk. "First is this one, Permanent Magic, _Contract with the Hellgate_. This card inflicts 1000 damage to myself during each of my Standby Phases."

"Huh? But that means when his turn comes again, he'll be taking 1000 damage." Satoko commented.

"What is he planning? What?" Rena wondered.

"That doesn't make any sense." Kurogasa said. "Why would he want to damage himself like that? I can't see any reason why unless he gains anything from it."

"Additionally," Reiji continued. "Once per turn, I can add one _D/D_ Monster from my Deck to my hand." A card then stuck out from Reiji's deck, which he took and held up for everyone to see. "I add _D/D Cerberus_ to my hand."

" _D/D_?" Futoshi repeated.

"Different Dimension," Sora answered. "It means an alternate plane."

"Likewise, the second Magic Card is this; Permanent Magic, _Contract with the Hellgate_." Reiji went on.

"With that, on his next turn he'll…" Gongenzaka gasped.

"...take 2000 damage…" Yuzu finished.

Another card stuck out from Reiji's deck which soon found its way into his hand. "Just like before, I can add a _D/D_ Monster from my deck to my hand once per turn. I'm adding _D/D Lilith_. And the last Magic Card I'm activating is… Permanent Magic, _Covenant with the Swamp King_. This card will inflict 1000 damage to me during my Standby Phase."

"Now it's up to 3000 points of damage…" Yuya muttered.

"What is he trying to…" Kurogasa thought about it.

" _Covenant with the Swamp King_ allows me to Fusion Summon once per turn without the use of a Fusion Magic Card." Reiji added as an apparition of the infamous _Devil King of the Swamp_ Monster appeared behind him.

"A Fusion Summon without a Fusion Magic Card?!" Mion repeated in surprise.

"The Monsters I choose to fuse are _D/D Cerberus_ and _D/D Lilith_." Reiji announced as two Monsters appeared above him. One was a dark-furred hound with two heads standing on its hind legs, while the other was a blue-skinned demonic creature with a serpentine body and pink fur on its shoulders.

" _ **Hound that bares its fangs! Seductress of the dark night! In a whirlpool of light from the realm of the dead, become one and awaken a new king! Fusion Summon! Be born! Level 6! D/D/D Flame King Temujin!"**_

Appearing from within the Fusion vortex was a towering warrior covered in dark brown armor with red accents carrying a large red broadsword and a tall, metallic red shield. A bright orange aura outlined his body, almost mimicking flames.

 **D/D/D Flame King Temujin  
LV 6  
Hono  
Demon/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2000 ] / DEF 1500**

"I don't like the looks of this." Kurogasa said.

"Wow…" Yuya breathed out, unable to help but be in awe.

"He's a Fusion user?" Gongenzaka wondered.

"But to take such risks to summon only that Monster?" Yuzu pointed out.

"This time it's _D/D/D_ …" Ayu mused.

"There's three D's?" Futoshi wondered. "What does it mean now?"

"I Set two cards and end my turn." Reiji concluded as a pair of reversed cards materialized in front of him and _Temujin_. As Reiji ended his turn, he pushed his glasses up to adjust them and held his chin as if in thought while looking towards Yuya.

"What's with his attitude? He's so full of himself!" Ayu grumbled.

"He's just a substitute for their fourth player, does he think this'll be a cakewalk?" Futoshi added.

"That could happen…" Sora said thoughtfully. "…If he chose to risk taking 3000 damage because he was underestimating Yuya."

"No way!" Yuzu responded.

"Unforgivable!" Gongenzaka snapped. "To underestimate your opponent so blatantly… is a disgrace to duelists everywhere!"

"Don't let someone like that win!" Tatsuya called to his older friend.

"Yeah! Give him a thorough beating!" Ayu added in.

"Shiver him to a pulp!" Futoshi chimed in.

"You got it!" Yuya smiled. "But what will really get him to shiver is my Entertainment Dueling!" And with that, the _Entermate_ duelist got a running start before leaping into the air and starting his turn. "Ore no tan! Draw! I summon _Entermate Whip Viper_!" shooting onto the field was a purple cobra with an orange star-shaped tattoo on its face, a yellow bow tie with red polka dots, and a black top hat on its head.

 **Entermate Whip Viper  
LV 4  
Chi  
Reptile/Effect  
ATK [ 1700 ] / DEF 900**

" _Entermate Whip Viper's_ Monster effect!" Yuya announced. "It can switch the ATK and DEF of an opponent's Monster!" Suddenly, the towering king fell on one knee as the hologram began to distort with static.

 _ **[ D/D/D Flame King Temujin - ATK: 2000-1500 / DEF: 1500-2000 ]**_

"It's ATK went down!" Ayu cheered.

"Now it can be beaten!" Rika beamed.

" _Whip Viper_ , attack _Temujin_!" Yuya commanded. The colorful cobra sprang forward and prepared to strike at the larger Monster. However, just as it got within striking distance, Reiji pressed a button on his Duel Disk.

"Trap Card, open!" Reiji declared as one of his Set cards flipped up. " _Covenant with the Valkyrie_!"

"Another _Covenant_? Another?" Rena tilted her head.

"What the heck is he up to?" Kurogasa asked.

"What does this one do…?" Ryuuji pondered.

"I will take 1000 damage during my Standby Phase, and…" Reiji explained, as if answering Ryuuji's question directly. "... All Demon-Type Monsters on my field will gain 1000 ATK." Thinking quickly, Yuya took off in another direction and began hopping across the floating balls, using them as platforms. At the same time, _Temujin_ stood back up as it found new strength within itself.

 _ **[ D/D/D Flame King Temujin - ATK: 1500-2500 ]**_

"Action Magic, _High Dive_!" Yuya suddenly interrupted, stopping on a raised platform and holding up a Magic Card before slapping it onto his Duel Disk. "This will increase _Whip Viper's_ ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn!" A small trampoline formed below the airborne _Whip Viper_ , which it took advantage of to remain in the air and dive once more towards _Temujin_.

 _ **[ Entermate Whip Viper - ATK: 1700-2700 ]**_

With its' newly-gained power, the _Entermate_ dove down at Reiji's lone Monster like a missile. However, what went unnoticed by everyone was that Reiji had hopped onto the tip of _Temujin's_ sword, who then vaulted his master up into the air towards one of the floating balls in the area. After grabbing an Action Card stuck to one of the makeshift platforms, Reiji flipped over his other Set card and smirked.

 _ **[ D/D/D Flame King Temujin - ATK: 2500-1500 ]**_

At the same time, _Whip Viper_ hit its mark, striking _Temujin_ head on and creating a large explosion from the impact.

However, everyone was shocked to see, once the dust cleared, that the flame king was very much alive.

"Impossible…" Yuya muttered.

"I also activated an Action Card." Reiji spoke up. "The Action Magic, _Evasion_ that is."

"You're putting on quite a show, aren't you?" Yuya laughed.

"They're looking pretty even right now…" Shuzo muttered from the control room.

"No, they're not!" Yuzu retorted.

"His opponent has four _Covenants_ on the field right now!" Gongenzaka pointed out. "He'll take 4000 damage during his next Standby Phase."

"Which means that if Yuya ends his turn right now, his opponent's Life Points will become zero." Mion said thoughtfully.

"Doesn't that mean that Yuya-san will win?" Satoko questioned. "Seems pretty anticlimactic."

"It's was a mistake in his opponent's strategy." Rika added.

"I wonder about that…" Sora interrupted. "I get the feeling he isn't the type of guy to make such a simple mistake."

"Also, there's the fact that right before _Whip Viper's_ attack connected, _Temujin's_ ATK returned to 1500." Kurai added.

"That was bothering me too…" Sora agreed.

"What's so funny?" Yuya asked his opponent, who had let out a chuckle.

"Pardon me." Reiji replied after adjusting his glasses once more. "I was just remembering your words of "thanks" and "let me" from the start of the match. You seem to be a very kind person, but such kindness has no use on the stage of battle."

"..." Yuya remained silent.

"Despite being able to win by simply ending your turn, you continue to hesitate… that kindness of yours is likely to blame." Reiji continued. "What results do you hope to accomplish with that?"

"Don't hesitate, Yuya!" Gongenzaka called. "Finish him!"

"... I set one card. Tan endo." Yuya concluded his turn after setting down a card. "At the time, _Whip Viper's_ effect ends and _Flame King Temujin's_ ATK and DEF return to normal. Also, _High Dive's_ effect ends and _Whip Viper's_ ATK returns to 1700."

 _ **[ D/D/D Flame King Temujin - ATK: 1500-2000 / DEF: 2000-1500 ]**_

 _ **[ Entermate Whip Viper - ATK: 2700-1700 ]**_

"Now! I'll have you take that 4000 points of damage from your four _Covenants_!" Yuya added as Reiji's four _Covenant_ cards appeared in front of him.

" _Covenants_?" Reiji smirked. "These old things?" And no sooner had the words left his mouth, all four of Reiji's _Covenant_ cards shattered into Solid Vision fragments.

"The _Covenants_! They vanished!" Kurai gasped. "Were they destroyed?"

"I don't think that's the case." Kurogasa frowned.

"What happened?!" Yuya demanded in pure surprise.

"The _Covenants_ were nullified.." Reiji explained as his final card in his Magic & Trap Zone appeared before also vanishing. "At the moment _Temujin_ was attacked, I activated my other Trap Card, _Lease Laundering_. This negates the effects of all _Covenant_ cards on my field and destroys all affected cards during the End Phase. And then I'm able to draw cards up to the number of cards that were affected."

"I see…" Kurai figured. "Which is why _Temujin's_ ATK returned to 1500. _Lease Laundering_ had negated the effect of _Covenant with the Valkyrie_."

"For a minute I thought Reiji would somehow turn all the damage towards Yuya instead of himself." Kurogasa commented.

"It was too good to be true…" Yuya muttered. "But if I had won like that, I would have been disappointed. I wouldn't be able to show off my Entertainment Dueling that everyone was anticipating. This may seem naive to you, but I want to win with my own dueling… the dueling passed down from my dad."

"Sakaki Yusho's dueling?" Reiji asked.

"You… you know my dad?" Yuya asked in return.

"Of course we know him!" Yaiba laughed. "He's the former champion that ran away!"

"SILENCE!" Reiji roared, making Yaiba flinch. The _D/D_ duelist then turned back to Yuya. "Pardon me. I do know your father. As the pioneer that lead the way to the Action Duel as it is today, I respect him from the bottom of my heart. I'll have you show me the dueling you inherited from your father. And if you do, I'll have to show the full extent of my own abilities."

"Full extent…" Yuya repeated.

"Watashi no tan! Draw!" Reiji drew his next card before immediately slapping it onto his Duel Disk. "I summon the Tuner Monster, _D/D Night Howling_!" Appearing next on Reiji's field was nothing more than a large mouth filled with several rows of sharp teeth that seemed to almost be part of the air itself, while an aura of darkness lined its form.

 **D/D Night Howling  
LV 3  
Yami  
Demon/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 300 ] / DEF 600**

"Tuner Monster?" Rena gasped.

"He can't be-!" Mion added.

"Oh, but he is." Himika replied. "From here on out is the main act."

"When this card is successfully summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _D/D_ Monster from the Cemetery, but its ATK will become zero." Reiji stated. "The Monster I choose to revive is… _D/D Lilith_!" Appearing from a dark portal in the ground was the blue snake woman from the first turn.

 **D/D Lilith  
LV 4  
Yami  
Demon/Effect  
ATK [ 100-0 ] / DEF 2100**

"I'm tuning the Level 4 _D/D Lilith_ with the Level 3 _D/D Night Howling_!" the _D/D_ duelist announced as his two Monsters flew up and took hold of a pair of trapeze bars before swinging towards each other. Eventually reaching one another, _Night Howling_ transformed into a set of three green gates while _Lilith_ broke into a set of four white stars.

" _ **Howls that tear through the night! With the swiftness of a gale, give birth to a new king! Synchro Summon! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"**_

As the stars and gates that once made up the two _D/D_ Monsters were speared through by a pillar of light, a new figure emerged in their place; a tall figure clad in gunmetal grey armor with green accents and a light green cape billowing behind him, while also carrying a large sword.

 **D/D/D Gust King Alexander  
LV 7  
Kaze  
Demon/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"A Synchro Monster…" Yuya muttered.

"He knew this too…" Mion breathed.

"He wasn't just a Fusion user?" Rena questioned.

"This is crazy…" Kurai said in a mix of surprise and awe, much to Kurogasa's confusion.

"And you're surprised because why?" The _Gusta_ Duelist asked.

"Normally a duelist chooses a Summon method and focuses their studies on that only," Mion explained. "That's how the higher-up Duel Schools like SDS and LDS operate."

"But if you're truly talented enough, then you can learn how to use multiple Summon methods at once." Ryuuji continued. "And given how well-known Akaba Reiji is, this would be something right up his alley."

"So you're saying it's possible that he can learn all the methods?" Kurogasa questioned.

"If he put his mind to it, someone of his caliber could definitely do it." Kurai responded.

"I activate _D/D/D Flame King Temujin's_ Monster effect!" Reiji declared. "When a _D/D/D_ Monster is Special Summoned, except for itself, I can Special Summon any _D/D_ Monster from my Cemetery! Return once more, _D/D Lilith_!" Once more the blue-skinned snake woman returned to the field, rising up from a portal of darkness created by a simple strike of _Temujin's_ sword to the ground.

 **D/D Lilith  
LV 4  
Yami  
Demon/Effect  
ATK 100 / DEF [ 2100 ]**

"Additionally! I activate _D/D/D Gust King Alexander's_ Monster effect!" Reiji continued as a whirlwind began to kick up around the grey-armored warrior. "When a _D/D_ Monster is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon any _D/D_ Monster from my Cemetery! Return, _D/D Cerberus_!" Appearing next to Lilith was the two-headed bipedal hound from the _D/D_ duelist's first turn.

 **D/D Cerberus  
LV 4  
Yami  
Demon/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 600**

"Both of his Monsters are Level 4…" Kurai noted, but then his eyes widened a second later. "It can't be!"

"I choose the Level 4 _D/D Cerberus_ and _D/D Lilith_ … and Overlay!" Reiji announced while raising his hand skyward.

"What?!" Yuya gasped.

"I use my two Monsters to construct an Overlay Network!" the Leo Corp. CEO continued as his two Monsters transformed into masses of dark purple mist that flew into the air and entered a large vortex-like portal gaping open above the field.

" _ **To subjugate all that resides within the world, descend onto its peak! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Be born! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"**_

Appearing from within a column of surging power coming from the Overlay Network was a tall figure clad in armor colored in a mix of blue and purple with gold accents. Like those that came before him _Caesar_ carrier a large sword rested on his shoulder.

 **D/D/D Wave King Caesar  
Rank 4  
Mizu  
Demon/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2400 ] / DEF 1200**

"T-This is…!" Rena said in sheer surprise. Everyone else visibly seemed to share her sentiments.

"What a guy…" Ryuuji said in awe.

"He's mastered all three…" Kurai breathed out. "Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz…" The _Nekroz_ duelist looked towards Yuya and frowned. _'Yuya will have a much harder time than we initially thought.'_

"The title _D/D/D_ stands for Different Dimension Demon." Reiji spoke up. "Prepare to get a taste of the power of kings who subjugate alternate planes."

"That guy actually knows all three methods." Kurogasa's eye twitched.

"That actually says a lot about his skill as a duelist, you know." Ryuuji pointed out to the rookie duelist. "If he was able to learn all three methods, then there's no telling how good he actually is. It's nothing to scoff at."

"But… hold on. He hasn't mastered all the methods." Kurogasa pointed out, making everyone look at him. "Well think about it. Yeah, there's Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz, but I haven't seen Reiji-san use Ritual Summoning yet so… he hasn't really mastered all of the Summoning methods… right?"

"Ritual is considered a minor method." Kurai explained. "While it's much stronger than Advance and Second Summoning, it's been regarded as inferior to the remaining three Summon types for a long time."

"Though the only exception to that is K-chan." Mion added. "The _Nekroz_ deck is designed to stand toe-to-toe with Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters."

"After my duel with Kurai, I don't think it's minor…" Kurogasa muttered, still unable to get over his loss to the Ritual user even after several days had passed.

" _Flame King Temujin_ attacks _Whip Viper_!" Reiji declared as his fire-themed Monster charged forward, raising his sword over his head for an overhead slash on Yuya's lone snake.

"I activate the Instant Magic, _Hippo Carnival_!" Yuya countered as his Set card rose. "This summons three _Hippo Tokens_ to my field in Defense mode!" On cue, Yuya's Magic Card glowed and three colorfully dressed hippos standing on their hind legs, all sporting differently colored skin and a large quantity of makeup on their faces, materialized onto the field in front of _Whip Viper_. As soon as they entered the battlefield, however, the three hippo Monsters began to dance in a very strange and exotic way.

 **Hippo Token** (x3)  
 **LV 1  
Chi  
Beast/Token  
ATK 0 / DEF [ 0 ]**

"By _Hippo Carnival's_ effect, the opponent can only attack the _Hippo Tokens_." Yuya added as the flame king was forced to redirect his attack to the blue-skinned hippo that had blown a kiss his way.

"Alright! He protected _Whip Viper_!" Futoshi cheered.

"Continue! _Gust King Alexander_ attacks a _Hippo Token_!" Reiji went on as the wind-themed warrior rushed forward and swung his sword clean through the orange-skinned hippo, destroying it instantly. "At this moment, _Alexander's_ effect activates. When it destroys a Monster by battle, it can destroy one other Monster!" Yuya gasped as _Alexander's_ eyes glowed with a golden light briefly before he swung his sword at the final _Hippo Token_ , cleaving through it in seconds as well. "Now, _Wave King Caesar_ , obliterate _Whip Viper_!"

On cue, the water-themed _D/D/D_ Monster flew forward straight at Yuya, who had his only Monster coiled around his arm. Though as it saw an enemy approaching, _Whip Viper_ unlatched itself from its master and shot forward. Despite this, it too was cut down by Reiji's Monster.

" _Whip Viper_!" Yuya gasped as he saw his Monster shatter into Solid Vision fragments.

 **Reiji LP:** 4000  
 **Yuya LP:** 4000-3300

"I Set one card. Tan endo." Reiji finished calmly as he placed down a single card behind his three Monsters.

"You're amazing." Yuya complimented. "So this is your true strength. I was honestly shocked when I saw you could control all three summon methods. Now it's my turn. I can't use Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz, but I have a unique power that was given to me… Ore no tan! Draw!" After Yuya saw what he drew, he smiled. "The fun has just begun! Ladies and gentlemen! My dear fans, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I now present to you what only Sakaki Yuya can do - Sakaki Yuya's Entertainment Dueling!"

"I've been waiting for this!" Ayu beamed alongside her friends who cheered and whooped just the same.

"I think he's ready for a counterattack," Ryuuji noted. Kurai nodded in agreement.

"I, using the Scale 1 _Astromancy Magician_ and the Scale 8 _Chronomancy Magician_ , set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuya said as he held up his two Pendulum cards and slapped them down onto his Duel Disk, causing the two signature Magician-Type Monsters to rise up through a pillar of blue light. "With this I can summon Monsters with Levels 2 through 7 simultaneously!"

" _ **Swing! Pendulum of the soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monsters!"**_

As the portal above the field opened up, two Monsters could be seen descending from within. The first was Yuya's signature red dragon while the other was a lion wearing a black top hat, a blue bow tie, and sporting a mane made of bright orange flames.

" _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon  
LV 7  
Yami  
Dragon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000  
Pendulum Scale: 4**

"And our new companion, _Entermate Fire Mufflio_!"

 **Entermate Fire Mufflio  
LV 3  
Hono  
Beast/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 800 ] / DEF 800  
Pendulum Scale: 5**

"There it is! The Pendulum Summon!" Tatsuya cheered.

"Now it's time for Yuya's counterattack to start." Yuzu smiled.

"Do it!" Gongenzaka encouraged.

"And now it's time for fire acrobatics featuring our superstar, _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_." Yuya continued as he dove straight off of the platform he was standing on and slipped his goggles over his eyes while landing on _Odd-Eyes'_ back. "Let's go, _Odd-Eyes_! Battle! Attack _Flame King Temujin_! With your beautiful and dual-colored eyes, lay waste to all before you! **Strike Burst of Spirals**!" On cue, _Odd-Eyes_ leapt into the air and threw its head forward, unleashing its signature attack. _Temujin_ attempted to use it shield to block the attack, but found he was struggling against it. "At this moment, _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's_ effect activates. When battling a Level 5 or higher Monster, battle damage is doubled! **Reaction Force**!" In a matter of moments, _Temujin's_ attempted defense failed as the oncoming blast doubled in potency, leaving the flame king unable to do anything as he was consumed by the opponent's attack.

 **Reiji LP:** 4000-3000  
 **Yuya LP:** 3300

"Furthermore, I activate _Fire Mufflio's_ effect." Yuya continued as _Odd-Eyes_ landed back on the ground. "A Pendulum Monster that destroys a Monster by battle gains 200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase and can make another attack!" The flaming lion roared, causing the flames of its mane to burn more intensely than before. As a result flames licked at the air until they came together to form a ring in midair that was just large enough for _Odd-Eyes_ to leap through without being harmed.

 _ **[ Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon - ATK: 2500-2700 ]**_

"Alright! He can take out another of Reiji-san's Monsters!" Satoko cheered and pumped her fist.

"Go and jump through that ring of fire, _Odd-Eyes_." Yuya commanded. His dragon roared in reply and charged forward before leaping up and through the ring harmlessly, earning sounds of awe and excitement from the younger You Show students. "My second attack target is _Gust King Alexander_! Go, _Odd-Eyes_! **Strike Burst of Spirals**!" Once more the Pendulum Dragon fired off its attack at Alexander, who attempted to use his own weapon to guard. "And next _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's_ effect activates! **Reaction Force**!" Despite holding off the attack for a while, _Alexander_ was unable to do so any longer once _Odd-Eyes_ powered itself up and was defeated instantly.

 **Reiji LP:** 3000-2600  
 **Yuya LP:** 3300

After landing, _Odd-Eyes_ kept charging around the field. Spotting an Action Card just to his left, Yuya reached out and grabbed it, smiling at what he found. "Alright, I'm on it today. I activate the Action Magic, _Wonder Chance_! I can give one Monster an additional attack!"

"He can destroy _Caesar_ too!" Rika mused.

"What a comeback. Despite his opponent having three powerful Monsters on his field, Yuya-san was able to get rid of all of them." Ryuuji complimented.

"Yuya might actually win this one." Kurogasa smiled.

"Attack _Wave King Caesar_!" Yuya Commanded. " **Strike Burst of Spirals**!" Unlike the previous attacks, _Odd-Eyes_ went on the offensive and fired off its attack before _Caesar_ could raise its weapon to prepare for battle. The wave king was simply obliterated by the attack with ease.

 **Reiji LP:** 2600-2300  
 **Yuya LP:** 3300

"He did it!" Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi cheered wildly.

"He can win." Yuzu commented. "Even if the opponent can use all three summoning methods, as long as Yuya has Pendulum Summoning, he can protect You Show!"

"That was hot-blooded, Yuya! You really are the ace of You Show Duel School!" Shuzo praised.

"My dear audience, thank you for your cheers. _Fire Mufflio_ cannot attack when it uses its effect, so _Odd-Eyes'_ attacks come to a close for the turn. At this time, the effect of _Fire Mufflio_ ends and _Odd-Eyes'_ ATK returns to normal."

 _ **[ Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon - ATK: 2700-2500 ]**_

"You did great, _Odd-Eyes_." Yuya said encouragingly to his ace Monster. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something that shocked him and everyone else watching the duel. As the smoke cleared from Reiji's field, what was revealed underneath was that all three of the Leo Corp. CEO's _D/D/D_ Monsters were still on the field and very much unharmed.

"No way…" Yuzu whispered.

"He just destroyed all of them.." Tatsuya managed.

"How did he-?" Mion questioned.

"I didn't see him activate any Trap Cards or Action Cards." Rena commented.

"Reiji-san must have done something." Kurogasa said.

"It must have been a Monster effect of some sort."

"Naomi?" Kurai questioned as the SDS students turned to the surrogate club member.

"Before it was attacked…" Naomi answered. "One of the Overlay Units on _Caesar_ vanished." Everyone raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"But then was it that effect that brought _Temujin_ and _Alexander_ back to the field…? Was it?" Rena wondered.

"In case you're wondering, I activated _Wave King Caesar's_ effect." Reiji addressed Yuya. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, _Caesar_ can Special Summon all Monsters that were destroyed by battle this turn at the end of the Battle Phase."

"Then that means it can-" Yuya realized.

"He can revive all of his Monsters!" Gongenzaka finished.

"But of course, there is a risk for this effect to be activated." Reiji went on. "During my next Standby Phase, if I control any of the revived Monsters, I'll take 1000 damage for each."

"That's 3000 damage total!" Kurogasa exclaimed.

"He would take such a risk for those Monsters…" Kurai mused. "But he certainly won't let himself take that damage." the _Nekroz_ duelist then looked towards Reiji's lone Set card.

"Trap Card, open!" Reiji called out, as if reading Kurai's thoughts. " _D/D/D Resource Management_! This card returns three _D/D/D_ Monsters on my field to the deck and lets me add two _D/D_ Monsters from my deck to my hand." As all three of the CEO's Monsters vanished from the field once more, a pair of cards stuck out from Reiji's deck, which he took and placed into his hand.

"And now with his Monsters gone, he doesn't take any damage from _D/D/D Wave King Caesar_." Rika commented.

"Man, so close." Kurogasa gritted.

"You can still win, Yuya!" Yuzu encouraged her friend. "Just make it through with a smile on your face using your Entertainment Dueling!"

"I Set one card. Tan endo." Yuya said after hearing his friend's words. He looked towards Reiji. "You really are amazing. Everything you do surpasses my imagination; I'm looking forward to whatever surprises you have in store for me."

"Likewise, you've done well." Reiji replied evenly. "You've allowed me to see the nature of Pendulum Summoning…" The CEO pushed up his glasses. "... Now it's your turn."

"Eh?" Yuya responded.

"I'll have you confirm whether or not Pendulum Summoning is unique to you with your own eyes." he stated.

"He's…" Kurai trailed off. His eyes widened at what came to mind. "Those two cards!"

"NO WAY!" Kurogasa gawked.

"But how? I thought only Yuya had access to Pendulum cards," Ryuuji said in surprise, his mouth gaping open slightly, but not enough for him to drop his candy.

Reiji then plucked two cards from his hand and held them up for all, and especially Yuya, to see. "Using the Scale 1 _D/D Magical Savant Galilei_ and the Scale 10 _D/D Magical Savant Kepler_ , I set the Pendulum Scale!"

"What?!" Yuya gawked. Rising up within a pair of blue columns of light were two oddly-shaped machines that almost appeared to be made from random bits of metal and other machinery.

"With this I can summon multiple Monsters with Levels 2 through 9!" Reiji continued as a large portal opened up above him.

" _ **Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and give birth to a new light that rends the darkness! Pendulum Summon! Come before me, my Monsters!"**_

As a large pillar of violet light descended down from the portal, a trio of Monsters emerged. All three were the same Monster - a large creature made of metal and shaped like a large claw that seemed to grip onto a large dark purple crystal, while on the front of the creature was a metallic face with gleaming red eyes.

"The three transcendental deities that rule over all kings! _D/D/D Great Death King Hell Armageddon_!"

 **D/D/D Great Death King Hell Armageddon** (x3)  
 **LV 8  
Yami  
Demon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 3000 ] / DEF 1000  
Pendulum Scale: 4**

"Three Monsters with 3000 ATK each…" Sora muttered.

" _Hell Armageddon_ attacks _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!" Reiji announced as one of his Pendulum Monsters charged up energy within the crystalline portion of its body and unleashed it in several streams at once, all aimed directly at _Odd-Eyes_. Thinking quickly, Yuya caught sight of an Action Card and dove for it. Glancing at it only briefly, Yuya slapped the card into his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Action Magic, _Miracle_!" Yuya interrupted. "This negates a Monster's destruction by battle and halves the battle damage!" On cue, a force field was conjured up around _Odd-Eyes_ and Yuya, holding back most of the attack.

 **Reiji LP:** 2300  
 **Yuya LP:** 3300-3050

"Miracles only happen once." Reiji retorted. "Continue! The second _Hell Armageddon_!" The second of Reiji's three Monsters fired off its own barrage of attacks at _Odd-Eyes_ , but with no way to defend itself, the Pendulum Dragon was destroyed in a matter of seconds.

 **Reiji LP:** 2300  
 **Yuya LP:** 3050-2550

" _Odd-Eyes_ was…" Futoshi trailed off.

"But even if it was destroyed, Pendulum Monsters don't go to the Cemetery." Tatsuya pointed out.

' _I see…'_ Reiji thought to himself as he saw _Odd-Eyes_ being moved to Yuya's Extra Deck Zone. _'So they're sent to the Extra Deck? So that one as well…'_ the CEO then pointed at _Fire Mufflio_. "Obliterate! _Hell Armageddon_!" For the third time Reiji's Pendulum Monster unleashed a barrage of dark power at the flaming lion. Unable to do anything to prevent the attack, Yuya was forced to watch as his _Entermate_ Monster was decimated by _Hell Armageddon's_ attack.

 **Reiji LP:** 2300  
 **Yuya LP:** 2550-350

"I Set a card. Tan endo." Reiji said calmly before ending his turn.

"Just who the hell is he?!" Yuya muttered. "Where did you get Pendulum cards?!"

"Well done, Reiji-san." Himika praised while slowly clapping for her son. "If you've mastered Pendulum Summoning to this extent, then this measly You Show Duel School…" _'If we don't need them, we might as well crush them.'_

"Yuya! The match isn't over yet!" Shuzo exclaimed. "Keep burning and burning! Be hot-blooded!"

"That's right. I'm still dueling… Calm down… calm down…" Yuya muttered while keeping himself calm. "Instead of worrying about him, I should win this duel." The _Entermate_ duelist then turned his gaze towards the three _Hell Armageddons_. "So those are his Pendulum Monsters... If I don't win this duel, the Duel School will... " Steeling his resolve, Yuya gripped the top card of his deck. "Ore no tan! Draw!" Looking at the card he drew, Yuya quickly formulated a plan.

" _ **Swing! Pendulum of the soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my Monsters!"**_

Emerging from the portal were three points of light that descended onto the field and quickly formed into three Monsters, two of which were the returning _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ and _Entermate Fire Mufflio_. Alongside them was a yellow-and-red-striped snake wearing a dark top hat and a white glove at the end of its' tail.

"From the Extra Deck, _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon  
LV 7  
Yami  
Dragon/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000  
Pendulum Scale: 4**

" _Entermate Fire Mufflio_!"

 **Entermate Fire Mufflio  
LV 3  
Hono  
Beast/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 800 ] / DEF 800  
Pendulum Scale: 5**

"And… _Entermate Partnaga_!"

 **Entermate Partnaga  
LV 5  
Chi  
Reptile/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 500 / DEF [ 2100 ]  
Pendulum Scale: 3**

"I activate _Partnaga's_ effect, targeting _Odd-Eyes_!" Yuya continued as the striped snake stretched and coiled itself around _Odd-Eyes'_ tail while its' tail end did the same to _Fire Mufflio_. "When _Partnaga_ is Special Summoned, I can increase the targeted Monster's ATK by 300 for each _Entermate_ I control." A yellowish glow surrounded all three of Yuya's Monsters as Partnaga connected them together.

 _ **[ Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon - ATK: 2500-3100 ]**_

"Go and battle! _Odd-Eyes_ attacks _Hell Armageddon_! **Strike Burst of Spirals**!" Yuya announced as he hopped onto his ace Monster's back and rode the now charging dragon. _Odd-Eyes_ leapt into the air and fired off its attack at the middlemost _Hell Armageddon_. "And when _Odd-Eyes_ battles a Level 5 or higher Monster, battle damage is doubled! **Reaction Force**!" On cue, _Odd-Eyes_ pumped even more power into its attack, easily overpowering the opposing Pendulum Monster and obliterating it.

"When destroyed, Pendulum Monsters are sent to the Extra Deck." Reiji stated as he took the destroyed Monster from his Duel Disk and slid it face-up into his Extra Deck Zone.

"Alright, next! With _Fire Mufflio's_ effect, I-"

" _Hell Armageddon's_ effect activates!" Reiji cut in.

"What?"

"When a Monster I control leaves the field, _Hell Armageddon_ gains that Monster's ATK." Reiji explained as dark energy surrounded his remaining two Monsters and lightning crackled between them. " _Hell Armageddon's_ ATK is 3000, therefore the remaining two gain 3000 ATK."

 **[ D/D/D Great Death King Hell Armageddon - ATK: 3000-6000 ]** (x2)

"So it's a revenge Monster?" Ryuuji wondered. "Reiji-san's quite the strategist. I don't think Yuya has _anything_ in his deck that could match that kind of power…"

"An ATK of 6000…" Kurai muttered.

"No way…" Ayu managed.

"How do you even beat a Monster like that?" Futoshi wondered.

"And there are two of them?" Sora noted. "This is going to be very tough, Yuya…"

"With this, You Show is…" Gongenzaka growled.

"It's not over yet." Kurogasa said. "Not until the last card is played."

"Except that even _if_ Yuya manages to destroy another one, the remaining _Hell Armageddon_ will gain an another 3000 ATK, putting it at 9000," Ryuuji pointed out. "Only a very small number of Monsters can even come close to that."

"Optimism is good and all, but in this situation it's useless. There's no way out of this for Yuya." Kurai added.

"…I end my turn." Yuya sighed in defeat. With that, the aura around the remaining _Hell Armageddons_ subsided, showing their loss of power.

 **[ D/D/D Great Death King Hell Armageddon - ATK: 6000-3000 ]** (x2)

"Watashi no tan! Draw!" Reiji said as he began his turn. Suddenly, the two _D/D_ cards serving as Reiji's Pendulum Scales began to buck and crackle with lightning, acting as though they were going into overdrive. Much to everyone's surprise, the large numbers below them showing their current Scale values began to change drastically, with _Galilei's_ changing from 1 to 5 and _Kepler's_ changing from 10 to 2. The lightning crackling between them suddenly struck Reiji's two Monsters, destroying them instantly.

"What?!" Reiji gasped, genuinely surprised by what was happening.

"Wait, what just happened?! What?!" Rena questioned, unsure of what she saw.

Ryuuji had an inquisitive look on his face before coming up with a theory, "Reiji-san's Pendulums must be malfunctioning. Most likely, he created them as prototypes and brought them here to use against Yuya, the originator of Pendulum Summoning, to test them. And if so, he likely didn't use them prior to see if they even worked properly and fix any bugs, so as a result they're messing with the programming and the backlash is destroying Reiji-san's field."

"Whatever the case, now there's a chance to win for Yuya-san." Kurai noted. "The next time Reiji-san Pendulum Summons, he'll only be able to summon Level 3 and 4 Monsters."

"But even Monsters of those Levels can be a threat, especially if Reiji-san performs either a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon again," Mion pointed out.

' _In the end they were still prototypes…'_ Reiji mused in his thoughts. _'They were still unstable. But in this situation...'_ Glancing down at his Set card, Reiji suddenly began to laugh out loud, confusing everyone. "Why didn't I realize it until now? Pendulum Summoning is not complete yet!"

"What?!" Yuya asked in surprise.

"I have seen the possibilities in further evolution of Pendulum Summoning! And I'll have you bear witness to it this moment!"

"What did you say?" Yuya asked again, making sure he heard right.

"What was that?!"

"Professor Marco was-!"

Everyone suddenly turned when they heard Himika and Masumi gasp while talking with Nakajima. Reiji activated the communication system on his Duel Disk and spoke with Nakajima only briefly before hopping down onto the ground and hurriedly walking off.

"Huh? Wait!" Yuya called back.

"I'll give you the win." Reiji said plainly.

"Hang on! What's your name?"

The CEO of Leo Corp. only turned back for a moment to reply.

"Akaba Reiji."

And with that, the _D/D_ duelist left with Himika, Nakajima, and the other LDS students.

* * *

After things had been settled from Reiji's abrupt departure, the SDS students were left with everyone from You Show.

"I think it would be better if we came back for our match some other time." Narukami said. "After what happened today, I believe your students should get some rest."

"Agreed," Shuzo nodded. "I'd like to apologize about everything that happened. It was all so sudden."

"No need to worry about that. You had no control over it." Narukami replied. His students nodded in agreement. "Well then, I guess we'll be on our way. I'm sure we'll all be looking forward to our proper match." And with that, the SDS group turned and departed from You Show.

"So what did you guys think of them?" Kurai asked his friends.

"They're an interesting bunch." Mion answered. "And I can't wait to duel them." Rena and the other girls nodded in agreement.

"Definitely wasn't boring around there." Kurogasa added. Ryuuji nodded.

"What about you?" Ryuuji asked his Ritual using friend.

"I was actually really interested in Yuya-san," Kurai answered. "I'm really curious about this Pendulum Summoning method now."

"Well then here's hoping we get to go back soon." Mion chimed in. Everyone else voiced their agreements and they all began anticipating the next time they would visit You Show Duel School.


	8. Scale 7

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 7**

 **Light of Rebellion, "Masaki"**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai, Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

Night had fallen on Maiami City, the streets now mostly empty aside from the occasional handful of people walking along the sidewalks, likely returning home from late shifts at their jobs or any other late-night plans they'd had. On the outside, everything seemed peaceful. However, in the back streets and alleyways of the bustling city, the exact opposite could be said. A pair of high school-aged students, both sporting LDS badges, were running in a panic as if they were trying to escape something. The two male students occasionally glanced behind them and gasped when they did, driving them to run faster to escape their unseen pursuer.

The students came to an abrupt halt as they ran out from an alley into a small clearing between several buildings, but with no other visible way out.

"Shit! We're trapped!" the first student hissed as he realized their situation. "Our only exit is back that way…!"

"But we can't go back that way..." his friend added.

Just then, leaping down from a nearby fire escape was a new figure; a young man with dark hair and a crimson fringe hanging over his face, which was concealed by goggles, a white fedora, and a dark red scarf pulled over his mouth, all serving to hide his face to the ones he was chasing. The pursuer also wore a dark blue coat, white collared shirt, dark pants, and dark shoes.

"You're out of options." the masked figure stated. He then activated the Duel Disk on his arm and held it up. "You can either give me the answers I want or we can do this the hard way."

"To hell with that!" the second student retorted as he and his friend activated their own Duel Disks. "We're fighting our way outta here!"

"Suit yourself…" the masked figure shrugged as all players drew their starting hands. "But be prepared to lose."

"DUEL!"

 **Masked Duelist: 4000  
LDS Student #1: 4000  
LDS Student #2: 4000**

"We'll do this 2-on-1" the first LDS student stated. "The two of us against you."

"None of us can attack on our first turns and none of us can draw either." the second added.

"That's fine by me." their pursuer answered back.

"Then I'm first! Ore no tan!" the dark-haired student called as he took the first turn. "First I'll activate these two cards!" The dark-haired LDS student revealed two copies of the Magic card _Foolish Burial_. " _Foolish Burial_! WIth this, I can send a Monster from my Deck to the Cemetery! So with two of them, I get to send two Monsters!" The duelist's deck auto-shuffled before sticking out two cards, which the LDS student grabbed and revealed. "I choose _Verz Salamandra_ and _Verz Thunderbird_!" After pushing the two cards into his Cemetery slot, the LDS student grabbed another card from his hand. "Next, I'll summon _Verz Castor_!" Appearing on the student's field was a hulking warrior clad in dark armor lined with blades and spikes, with a tattered crimson cape hanging off of his back in shreds.

 **Verz Castor  
LV 4  
Yami  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1750 ] / DEF 550**

" _Verz Castor_ 's Monster Effect activates! When Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to Normal Summon another _Verz_ Monster from my hand!" the dark-haired duelist explained as he grabbed another card from his hand. "So I'll summon _Verz Kerykeion_!" Appearing next to Castor was a tall figure clad in a black bodysuit with bronze armor plates laid over it. Curving black spikes lined his body and a pair of black and white wings sprouted from his back. In his hands the new Monster carried two staves; one tipped with a mirror similar to the _Ritua Ceremonial Water Mirror_ , while the other had two golden snakes coiled around it and ended in a head shaped like two golden, outstretched wings.

 **Verz Kerykeion  
Lv 4  
Yami  
Magician/Effect  
ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 1550**

"Then I activate the Monster Effect of _Verz Kerykeion_!" the LDS student continued. "I remove _Verz Thunderbird_ in my Cemetery from play to return _Verz Salamandra_ from my Cemetery to my hand!" As the dark-haired student announced this, a Solid Vision image of _Verz Thunderbird_ 's card appeared on the field and was promptly pulled into a dark vortex as the card of _Verz Salamandra_ ejected itself from the Cemetery, allowing the student to add it to his hand. "And then with the effect of _Verz Kerykeion_ , I can also Normal Summon another _Verz_ Monster this turn! So I'll summon _Verz Salamandra_!" Rising up onto the field next was a large green dinosaur-like Monster that appeared to be covered in gunmetal grey armor lined with edges and spikes, while also resembling the Monster _Jurrac Titano_.

 **Verz Salamandra  
LV 4  
Yami  
Dinosaur/Effect  
ATK [ 1850 ] / DEF 950**

"And now, I'll use my Level-4 _Verz Castor_ and _Verz Kerykeion_ to construct the Overlay Network and Overlay!" the dark-haired student announced as his two declared Monsters turned into purple glowing energy and flew into the sky, a swirling, galaxy-like portal appearing in the center of the field before the two streams of light flew into it, causing blue bolts of lightning to shoot out from the core. "Xyz Summon! Rank 4! _Verz Bahamut_!"

Emerging onto the field from the Overlay Network was a large blue dragonic creature that bore many similarities to _Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier_ , but with several portions of its body being colored in black and shaped much more rigidly. A pair of glowing purple orbs orbited around the _Dragon_ Xyz.

 **Verz Bahamut  
Rank 4  
Yami  
Dragon/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2350 ] / DEF 1350**

"So he uses Xyz..." the masked duelist mused to himself.

"Lastly, I'll set one card facedown!" the dark-haired LDS student said as he inserted his final card into his Duel Disk, causing a reversed card to appear in front of him for a brief moment before disappeared. "Turn end!"

"My turn, then!" the blonde LDS student declared as he grabbed a card from his hand. "I'll start by activating the Magic card, _Dual Summon_! With this, I can Normal Summon twice this turn! So first I'll summon _Holy Knight Artorius_!" Hopping onto the field was a young man wearing silver and red armor with short, dirty blonde hair and wielding a simple sword.

 **Holy Knight Artorius  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 1800**

"Next, I'll summon _Holy Knight Bedivere_!" the blonde student continued as he played his next card. Appearing next to Artorius was another young man with short, silver hair wearing silver armor of a darker color than Artorius and wearing a red cape behind him.

 **Holy Knight Bedivere  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 1500**

" _Holy Knight Bedivere_ 's Monster Effect activates! When summoned, I can send a _Holy Sword_ Equipment Magic card from my deck to my Cemetery!" the blonde duelist explained, to which his deck auto-shuffled and stuck out a card, which he took and revealed. "I choose _Holy Sword EX-Caliburn_!" The LDS student proceeded to push the card into his Cemetery slot. "Then I'll use my Level-4 _Holy Knight Artorius_ and _Holy Knight Bedivere_ to construct the Overlay Network and Overlay!" In response, the two _Holy Knight_ s turned into yellow lights and flew into the air as another spiraling, galaxy-like portal appeared in the center of the field which the two lights flew into, causing another explosion of blue lightning bolts. "Xyz Summon! Rank-4! _Holy Knight King Artorius_!" Artorius once again emerged from the Overlay Network, now garbed in new armor lined with blue glowing patterns along the body. A pair of yellow lights orbited the king's form, serving as its Overlay Units.

 **Holy Knight King Artorius  
Rank 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2000 ] / DEF 2000**

" _Holy Knight King Artorius_ 's Monster Effect! WHen Xyz Summoned, I can target up to three _Holy Sword_ Equipment Magics in my Cemetery and equip them to him! So I'll choose my _Holy Sword EX-Caliburn_!" the blonde student continued as his card was ejected from the Cemetery slot, which the student then grabbed and subsequently played, causing the sword held by the _Holy Knight_ Xyz to change into a rather ornate sword with a golden crossguard and a split blade with one half red and the other half blue. "I'll then set one card facedown to end my turn!" The LDS student pushed another card into his Duel Disk, an image of a reversed card appearing briefly on the field to signify his move.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurogasa was walking down the sidewalk, minding his own business on his way back home from a long day at school. "Man, those guys keep dishing out more Punishment Games on me…" He muttered. "I may be a newbie, but c'mon…"

Just then, as he passed by an alleyway, he saw brief flashes of light going off down towards the end, which caught his attention instantly.

"What the- what's that?" He wondered as he went towards the said alleyway.

* * *

Focused on his opponents and unaware of the hidden spectator, the masked man stared down his opponents fiercely. "Boku no tan!" he called as he began his turn. "I summon _Satellarknight Vega_!" At his call, a new Monster appeared on the field; a slender female figure wearing a pinkish-purple dress underneath white and gold armor, with a large gold ornament fitted around her shoulders, as well as a golden ring floating around her midsection.

 **Satellarknight Vega  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1200 ] / DEF 1600**

" _Vega_ 's Monster effect! When summoned, I can Special Summon a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my hand! I summon _Satellarknight Unuk_!" the masked man continued as another Monster joined the one on his field; another figure covered in a dark blue bodysuit underneath white and gold armor, with a tail-like ornament made of that same armor forming behind it from its back.

 **Satellarknight Unuk  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 1000**

" _Satellarknight Unuk's_ effect lets me send a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my Deck to the Cemetery when it's Summoned." the masked man continued as a card stuck out from his deck. He revealed it to the others before sliding it into his Cemetery slot. "I send _Satellarknight Sham_ to the Cemetery." Afterwards, he plucked two more cards from his hand and set them in his Duel Disk. "I Set two cards. Turn end!"

"A duel? What's going on?" Kurogasa wondered to himself. "And who's the guy in the mask?"

"Ore no tan!" the dark-haired duelist called out as he drew his card. "I activate the Magic card, _Xyz Cancel_! This card allows me to return an Xyz Monster to the Extra Deck and Special Summon its Overlay Units if they exist in my Cemetery!" Being the only targetable Monster, _Verz Bahamut_ dissolved from the field and the lights of the Overlay Units reverted to the forms of _Verz Castor_ and _Verz Kerykeion_. "Now I'll use my Level-4 _Verz Castor_ and _Verz Kerykeion_ to construct the Overlay Network and Overlay!" Once more the two _Verz_ Monsters turned into purple lights and flew into the air as yet another galaxy-like portal appeared in the middle of the field, the lights flying into it and causing another explosion of blue lightning bolts. "Xyz Summon! Rank 4! _Verz Ophion_!" Descending onto the field was a large dragon covered in black scaly armor, which bore many resemblances to _Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier_.

 **Verz Ophion  
Rank 4  
Yami  
Dragon/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2550 ] / DEF 1650**

"As long as _Verz Ophion_ is on my field, you can't Special Summon any Level-5 or higher Monsters!" the dark-haired LDS student explained with a victorious smirk.

"Can't Special Summon Level-5 or higher?" Kurogasa repeated to himself. ' _A card like that would shut down so many decks… Including my own!_ '

"Now _Verz Ophion_ , attack his _Satellarknight Unuk_!" The corrupted dragon planted its feet firmly on the ground before letting out a high shriek and gathering up darkness in its maw. After building up a sufficient amount of power, the _Verz_ Monster threw its head forward and unleashed the attack, barreling towards _Unuk_ and striking it down.

 **Masked Duelist: 4000-3250  
LDS Student #1: 4000  
LDS Student #2: 4000**

"Trap Card, open!" the masked man called out as his Set card rose. "Permanent Trap, _Stellarnova Wave_! This allows me to Special Summon a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my hand during my Main Phase or my opponent's Battle Phase!"

"During my Battle Phase?" the dark-haired LDS student repeated in surprise as his opponent plucked a card from his hand.

"I use the effect of my Trap to Special Summon _Satellarknight Altair_!" the _Tellarknight_ duelist stated. Soaring down from the sky and onto the field was another figure wearing a neutral blue bodysuit underneath white armor with gold trim, and a pair of silver and bright blue wing-like protrusions coming from his back and thus allowing him to fly.

 **Satellarknight Altair  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATL [ 1700 ] / DEF 1300**

" _Satellarknight Altair's_ effect activates since it was Summoned. I can now Special Summon a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my Cemetery!" the _Tellarknight_ user explained as he took out a card from his Cemetery slot. "I Special Summon _Satellarknight Sham_!" Flying down onto the field to join its allies was a shorter, almost childlike figure clad in white and gold armor overtop a dark green bodysuit. Two curved objects floated behind the Monster's back, acting like a pair of pseudo-wings, while in his hands the child carried a golden bow, an arrow loaded in and ready to fire.

 **Satellarknight Sham  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 1400 / DEF [ 1800 ]**

" _Satellarknight Sham's_ Monster effect!" the masked duelist added. "When summoned, my opponent takes 1000 damage!" On cue, the childlike _Tellarknight_ Monster fired an arrow, which transformed into a streak of light that pierced the Verz user harmlessly.

 **Masked Duelist: 3250  
LDS Student #1: 4000-3000  
LDS Student #2: 4000**

The dark-haired LDS student growled in annoyance, "Turn end!"

"Ore no tan!" the blonde LDS called as he drew his next card. "I activate the Magic card, _Duel_! This card will allow us to draw until we both hold six cards in our hands!" The _Holy Knight_ and _Tellarknight_ duelists proceeded to draw, the _Verz_ duelist not drawing due to the rulings of the Magic card only affecting the player who activated it and their opponent. "Next, I'll play the Equipment Magic, _Holy Sword Arondight_ , onto my _Holy Knight King Artorius_!" As the blonde student played his card, a second sword appeared in _King Artorius_ 's left hand, this one with a black hilt and crossguard and a crystalline blade. "Turn end!"

 _ **[BGM - "Yuto's Passionate Soul" from Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Sound Duel 3]**_

"Boku no tan!" the _Tellarknight_ duelist called as he drew his next card. "I activate the Instant Magic, _Genesis Tellarknight_! This allows me to destroy as many Magic and Trap Cards on the field as there are _Tellarknight_ Monsters on my own field! I have three, so I'm destroying a total of three cards!" On cue, several streaks of light shot down from the sky, knocking the two swords from _Artorius'_ hands, and causing them to dematerialize, and also simultaneously destroying the dark-haired student's other Set card.

" _Holy Sword Arondight's_ effect activates since it went to the Cemetery!" the blonde duelist countered. "When sent to the Cemetery, I can equip _Arondight_ onto an appropriate Monster on my field! I equip _Arondight_ to _Artorius_!" Once more the crystal-bladed sword materialized in the hand of the Holy Knight King.

"I use _Stellarnova Wave_ to Special Summon a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my hand during the Main Phase!" the masked duelist continued as he plucked a card from his hand. "I summon _Satellarknight Deneb_!" Appearing on the field in a flash of light was another white-and-gold-armored figure, this one bearing small characteristics that made it resemble a bird, though only vaguely. A pair of wings made of light stretched out from its back as well, allowing it to remain hovering.

 **Satellarknight Deneb  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1500 ] / DEF 1000**

"And since _Deneb_ was summoned, I can add one _Tellarknight_ Monster from my deck to my hand." he went on further as a card stuck out from his deck, which he took. "I add and then summon _Satellarknight Procyon_!" Next came a short figure covered entirely in white and gold armor with additional orange trim, almost as if the Monster were the armor itself. Like its other comrades, _Procyon_ sported a large golden ring-like ornament floating around its midsection with a green glass sphere attached as well, seeming almost like a small planet.

 **Satellarknight Procyon  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 1300 / DEF [ 1200 ]**

"Now I'll choose my Level 4 _Satellarknight Altair_ , _Satellarknight Sham_ , and _Satellarknight Vega_ , and Overlay!" the mystery duelist declared as his three Monsters transformed into slithers of golden light that flew into the air before entering into a large portal in the sky.

"Wait, an _Xyz_ duelist?!" the _Verz_ duelist questioned in shock. "Damn it, so _Ophion_ was useless…"

" _ **Overlaying lights form a shining nova to light the war-torn world! Become the light that guides my destiny! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Descend, Stellarknight Deltatheros!"**_

As a bolt of lightning burst out from the core of the Overlay Network and struck the ground, a new Monster emerged in place of the previous three. The Monster in question was a tall figure wearing a royal blue bodysuit underneath ornate white and gold armor with violet trim. The Monster's human face was seemingly metallic, and was decorated with gold patterns and designs. In his right hand the Xyz Monster carried a sword similar in design to a katana, but also holding many characteristics of a rapier. In his opposite hand the new Monster carried a triangular shield made of golden light, which he held at his side to defend on a moment's notice.

* * *

Elsewhere, Kurai and Naomi, who had arrived home and were getting ready to eat dinner, stopped what they were doing as they felt an odd tugging sensation in their chests. Both of them lightly gripped their chests at the same time, looking towards each other in shared confusion just as the feeling passed. They shrugged to each other, unsure of what had just happened, before they continued about their business.

* * *

In another part of the city entirely, a young man with dark red hair stopped walking as he felt a tugging sensation in his chest. His senses immediately kicked in and he looked around frantically, as if he were a bloodhound trying to pick up a scent.

 _'What's... Is she dueling again?'_ he wondered in his thoughts as he looked off in a specific direction. _'It feels like she's that way... Maybe I can catch up with her.'_ And with that, the crimson-haired young man took off down another street without a second thought.

* * *

 **Stellarknight Deltatheros  
Rank 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2100**

"I activate _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ ' Monster Effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can destroy one card on the field!" the _Tellarknight_ duelist explained as one of the Xyz Monster's Overlay Units flew into its thin sword. _Deltatheros_ then took aim with its sword at _Verz Ophion_ , pointing the tip of the blade at the corrupted Dragon. "I choose to destroy _Verz Ophion_! **Stellar Spark!** " On his owner's cue, _Deltatheros_ , thrust his blade forward, sending a beam of pure light from the tip of his weapon and right at the Yami-Attribute Xyz, piercing it and killing it in a matter of seconds.

"No! _Ophion_ was…!" the dark-haired duelist growled.

" _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ attacks _Holy Knight King Artorius_!" the _Tellarknight_ user commanded. " **Black Sword Slash!** " Following the orders of its master, the _Tellarknight_ Xyz tossed its sword into the air just above it, where it spun several times before being caught again by the Warrior. Afterwards, he charged forward at the _Holy Knight_ Monster, raising his sword over his head before bringing it down in one clean slash, ending _Artorius_ ' life right then and there.

 **Masked Duelist: 3250  
LDS Student #1: 3000  
LDS Student #2: 4000-3500**

"Next I activate the Instant Magic, _Xyz Cancel_ , returning _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ to the Extra Deck and Special Summoning the Monsters used as its Material!" he continued as he slapped down the Magic Card, causing _Deltatheros_ to vanish from the field in exchange for allowing _Vega_ , _Altair_ , and _Sham_ to return to the field. " _Satellarknight Sham_ 's effect! Since it was summoned, my opponent takes 1000 damage!" Once more, the childlike Warrior fired an arrow of light, though this time it was aimed at the _Holy Knight_ duelist.

 **Masked Duelist: 3250  
LDS Student #1: 3000  
LDS Student #2: 3500-2500**

"Damn…!" the _Holy Knight_ duelist muttered. "But even with those Monsters, they won't be able to take out both of us!"

"I wonder about that," the masked man mused. Though it couldn't be seen by his opponents, he smirked as he took another card from his hand. "I activate the Instant Magic, _Satellarknight Skybridge_! This lets me shuffle a _Tellarknight_ Monster from my field into the deck to Special Summon another _Tellarknight_ Monster with a different name from the deck!" Almost as if knowing his master's intentions, _Satellarknight Procyon_ instantly vanished from the field. "I return _Procyon_ to Special Summon _Satellarknight Rigel_ from the deck!" After _Procyon_ left the field, a new _Satellarknight_ descended from a bridge in the sky made of multicolored light. This new Monster was clad in a dark purple bodysuit and white armor with gold trim, with long blonde hair spilling out the back of its helmet and a white cape fluttering behind it. Like all other _Tellarknights_ , _Rigel_ sported a ring-like object around its midsection.

 **Satellarknight Rigel  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 700**

" _Satellarknight Rigel_ 's Monster Effect!" the _Tellarknight_ user announced. "When summoned, I can increase the ATK of any _Tellarknight_ Monster on my field by 500, but it'll be sent to the Cemetery at the end of the turn! I choose to give _Satellarknight Vega_ an additional 500 ATK!" _Rigel_ waved his hand towards _Vega_ , who began to glow with a golden light as it obtained new power.

 _ **[Satellarknight Vega - ATK: 1200-1700]**_

"This is…" the dark-haired student trailed off as he beheld the full field of his opponent.

"Now, my Monsters, attack!" the masked duelist commanded. In a split second, all five _Tellarknights_ flew forward at the two LDS students, with three of them veering towards the _Holy Knight_ duelist and the remaining two staying on course and striking at the _Verz_ user. In a few simple strikes, both duelists were knocked onto their backs several yards away, their Life Points depleting for both of them.

 **Masked Duelist: 3250  
LDS Student #1: 3000-0  
LDS Student #2: 2500-0**

 _ **[BGM End]**_

The masked duelist deactivated his Duel Disk, causing his five Monsters to vanish, before he walked up to the beaten LDS students, glaring down at them. "I'll ask once more," he began. "Give me the answers I want… Where can I find Akaba Reiji?"

"And why would we tell you that? What's it to _you_ anyways?" the dark-haired young man spat.

"You're not getting anything from us!" the blonde boy added. The masked duelist sighed and lifted up the arm with his Duel Disk on it, pressing a few commands into the system.

"I see…" he replied as a light began to shine from the space that would normally project the board for the cards. "Then you're of no use to me." And with that, the last thing the masked man saw of his two former opponents was their look of panic as the light being emanated from his Duel Disk grew brighter until it consumed the two students. In a matter of seconds that felt like an eternity to the hiding Kurogasa, he watched as the two students vanished without a trace as the strange light hit their bodies, but once the light had vanished, a pair of cards could be seen drifting down onto the ground, and when they landed face-up, the _Gusta_ duelist was horrified at what he saw.

"He turned them… into cards?!" Kurogasa gasped in horror, taking a couple steps back from where he was hidden. He then watched as the masked duelist picked up the students-turned-cards and pocketed them. He then glanced around before pulling up his goggles and pulling down the scarf around his mouth, revealing his face for Kurogasa to see.

"Damn it all… just what is Shun thinking by having us do this?" he muttered to himself.

"What? Kurai?!" Kurogasa gasped in shock. As he took another involuntary step back, his foot ended up striking the side of a dumpster, causing a brief clanging noise to sound throughout the area. In the span of a second, the newly-revealed Kurai whipped his head in the direction of the noise and trained his eyes that way.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" he demanded. Not wasting any more time than necessary to think, Kurogasa quickly turned around and ran as fast as he could out of the alley and into the open streets of the city once again, not stopping until he had reached his house.

* * *

The next day had come by and Kurai and the group, minus Naomi, had gathered on the roof of SDS for lunch. However, everyone ended up noticing as they all met up that someone else was missing from their group.

"Has anyone seen Kurogasa today?" Mion asked to end the silence.

"No, we haven't seen him all day. We haven't/" Rena replied.

"It's actually kind of weird when you think about it." Kurai added. Just then, the door to the roof swung open, and out stepped none other than the Gusta duelist. Without so much as a word of greeting, he approached the others.

"What the hell was that last night, Kurai?!" He snapped.

"Hello to you too, sunshine." Kurai replied with an eyebrow raised in confusion at Kurogasa's sudden outburst.

"Cut the crap! What the hell did you do to those two LDS students?!"

"LDS?" Rena repeated.

"What's this about?" Mion questioned. "Where is this coming from?"

"Last night, I was walking home after our club meeting and I saw Kurai dueling these two guys from LDS! He won and somehow he sealed those two guys in cards!"

"Turned them into cards?" Ryuuji questioned, also raising an eyebrow. "You sure you're feeling okay?"

"I know what I saw!" Kurogasa said. "What did you do to them, Kurai? And why are you using Xyz?!"

"Huh?" Satoko wondered, a disbelieving look on her face. "What are you talking about? Kurai-san doesn't even _use_ Xyz. He's the top student in this school's _Ritual_ courses. I don't think your head's screwed on tight enough."

"Don't be so rude, Satoko," Rika chided her friend.

"You have the wrong person," Kurai interjected as he stood up. "Naomi and I both went straight home after the meeting yesterday. And besides, I've never once used Xyz since I started dueling."

"I'm calling your bluff!" Kurogasa challenged. "I saw your face! I know I did! Don't try to lie your way out of it, because now there's a chance that LDS will be on _our_ asses for pulling that stunt!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ryuuji stated. "There's hardly any chance that LDS will go after us. The only reason they were trying to get their hands on the You Show school before was because Yuya-san was there, and they wanted to take Pendulum Summoning for themselves. Sure SDS is a much more high-end school than You Show, but we don't have anything they don't already." He pushed up his glasses after a brief pause. "Either way, I'm still skeptical about what you're saying about Kurai."

"So you're calling me a liar? Is that it?"

"Calm down already!" Mion interrupted. "Listen, we've known K-chan for a long time. There's no way he'd do something like what you're accusing him of."

"If so, then prove it!" Kurogasa said, pulling out his deck. "Duel me right here and now!"

"Alright, fine." Kurai said finally with a hint of irritation in his tone. "You see yourself as a hero? You think you're the big shot that's gonna bring me to justice? Well here's your chance to prove that to us. I'll take your challenge, but this doesn't change the fact that I didn't attack anybody." the _Nekroz_ and _Gusta_ duelists then pulled out their Duel Disks and activated them, inserting their decks so it could auto-shuffle.

"DUEL!"

 **Kurogasa: 4000  
Kurai: 4000**

"I'll go first! Boku no tan!" Kurai called as he took the initiative. "I summon _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_!" After placing the card onto his Duel Disk, the red-haired, female magician of the _Nekroz_ emerged.

 **Dance Princess of the Nekroz  
LV 4  
Mizu  
Magician/Effect  
ATK [ 1600 ] / DEF 800**

"I set two cards. Turn end!"

"Ore no tan!" Kurogasa said, drawing his sixth card. "I summon _Musto, Priest of Gusta_!" Appearing in front of Kurogasa was the green-haired, cloaked young man from his previous duel against Kurai.

 **Musto, Priest of Gusta  
LV 4  
Kaze  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK [ 1800 ] / DEF 900**

"Attack the _Dance Princess_!" Kurogasa commanded. The green-haired priest waved his staff and a gust of cutting wind magic blew towards _Dance Princess_ , cutting her to pieces that broke apart into Solid Vision fragments.

 **Kurogasa: 4000  
Kurai: 4000-3800**

"I Set two cards face-down! Tan endo!"

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called out as he drew his next card. "I activate the Magic Card, _Duel_ , allowing us to draw until we each have six cards." Both players did as the card instructed before Kurai continued. "I activate the effect of the _Nekroz of Catastor_ in my hand! By discarding this card, I can Special Summon one Nekroz Monster from the Cemetery!" A card shot out from his Cemetery slot, which he took and placed down. "I choose to Special Summon _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_!" As the spirit of the armored dragon appeared briefly on the field, _Dance Princess_ rose up from a portal in the ground before the spirit of _Catastor_ vanished.

"Next, I activate the Ritual Magic, _Reincarnation Technique of the Nekroz_!" Kurai went on as he slid another Magic Card into his Duel Disk. "This lets me Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Monster by Tributing the Monsters from my hand or field or by banishing them from the Cemetery! I choose to Tribute the _Ritual Genie Releaser_ in my hand!"

"Looks like K-chan's going for the _Genie_ lock," Mion pointed out. "He must not be playing around this time. He's taking this duel with Kurogasa seriously."

"He must be pretty mad right now too." Rena added. "He only ever uses the Genie Lock unless he has to or he's agitated."

"I'd be pretty mad too if someone was going around accusing me of some crime I didn't commit." Satoko blurted out.

As a glowing gem appeared above Kurai's field, the spirit of a purple-skinned demon appeared in front of it before dissolving into bluish light that flowed into the crystalline surface. As the gem began to glow, it showed an apparition of _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_ , before shattering away completely and letting off a flash of golden light.

" _ **Young spellcaster with mastery over the sky! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 3! Nekroz of Clausolas!"**_

Descending onto the field was _Schritt_ , albeit now clothed in the armor modeled after Mist Bird Clausolas, holding his sword at the ready.

 **Nekroz of Clausolas  
LV 3  
Mizu  
Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
ATK 1200 / DEF [ 2300 ]**

"Due to the effect of _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ , my opponent is unable to activate any cards or effects in response to the activation of my Ritual Magics." Kurai explained. "And now for the effect of the _Ritual Genie Releaser_ I Tributed for the Ritual Summon! **Genie Lock!** "

"Genie Lock?" Kurogasa repeated.

"Because I used _Ritual Genie Releaser_ as part of the Ritual Summon of _Nekroz of Clausolas_ , my opponent cannot Special Summon Monsters while _Clausolas_ is on the field."

"What?!" Kurogasa gasped in shock.

"And next I activate a second _Nekroz Mirror_! This time I'll banish the _Ritual Genie Releaser_ and _Nekroz of Catastor_ in my Cemetery as part of the Ritual Summon!" Soon enough, the ceremonial mirror of the _Nekroz had_ materialized in midair, with the spirits of _Catastor_ and _Releaser_ appearing briefly before they were absorbed into the mirror, showing the reflection of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ on its glassy surface before the entire mirror shattered into nothingness, leaving behind a flash of bluish light.

" _ **Ruler of ancient magic! With the inherited arts, at this moment, appear before me and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Reincarnate! Level 8! Nekroz of Valkyrus!"**_

"Wait, what?!" Ryuuji gasped in surprise, his lollipop falling out of his mouth. " _Nekroz of Valkyrus_? When did he get a _Level 8_ Ritual?"

"We don't really know ourselves," Rena answered.

"And we still haven't asked him where or when he got it." Mion added. Off to the side, nobody noticed as Naomi gripped her chest lightly as _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ materialized onto the field.

 **Nekroz of Valkyrus  
LV 8  
Mizu  
Magician/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 1700**

"Just like last time, _Dance Princess_ prevents cards and effects from being used in response to my Ritual Magic Cards, and because I used _Ritual Genie Releaser_ for a Ritual Summon, my opponent cannot Special Summon Monsters." Kurai explained.

"Gh…!" Kurogasa gritted.

Satoko couldn't help but laugh smugly, "And now Kurogasa's locked out of his Synchro Summons. His deck might as well be useless!"

"I'm also activating the Magic Card, _Twin Twisters_." Kurai continued on. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy up to two Magic or Trap Cards on the field!"

"!" Kurogasa's eyes widened as he saw mini cyclones emerge from the Magic and blow away his two Set cards.

" _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ attacks _Musto, Priest of Gusta_!" Kurai commanded. " **Blue Destruction!** " On cue, _Valkyrus_ raised his staff towards the sky, firing off a bolt of blue magic that vanished into the clouds. Seconds later, a much larger blast came barreling down from the heavens, blasting away _Musto_ in an instant.

 **Kurogasa: 4000-2900  
Kurai: 3800**

" _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ , attack the player directly!" Kurai added, to which his female Magician aimed her hand at Kurogasa, palm facing out, and fired off a small burst of magic that struck the ground at the _Gusta_ duelist's feet.

 **Kurogasa: 2900-1300  
Kurai: 3800**

"Turn end!"

"Ore no tan…" Kurogasa drew his next card and looked at his current hand. He tried considering his options, but knew that he was locked for good. In the end, all he did was discard a card to his Cemetery as he had his head down, the bangs of his hair covering his eyes. "Tan endo…"

"Boku no tan." Kurai said calmly as he drew his next card. "Nekroz of Valkyrus attacks the player directly. **Blue Destruction!** " Once again, Valkyrus fired off a bolt of magic into the sky before it came back down stronger than ever, hitting the Synchro user dead-on and depleting his Life Points to zero.

 **Kurogasa: 1300-0  
Kurai: 3800**

As the holograms vanished, both duelists deactivated their Duel Disks and gathered up their cards. "Now will you listen?" Kurai asked. "I've about had it with all this."

"I wasn't lying about seeing your face…" Kurogasa muttered.

"I told you already that I didn't do it!" Kurai insisted. "What reason would I have to attack LDS anyways?"

"Hold on, Kurai," Ryuuji spoke up as he and the others walked up to the two duelists. "I'm certain Kurogasa isn't lying about what he saw."

"But then who could it have been? It certainly wasn't me." Kurai retorted. "It's not like-" He paused abruptly as something occurred to him.

"You remember too, don't you? A similar situation happened at You Show when the members of LDS were accusing Yuya," Ryuuji pointed out, then turned his attention to Kurogasa. "I've been keeping a watch on Kurogasa during the duel and from what I could see, he's absolutely certain of what he saw." Ryuuji then returned his attention to Kurai. "But we all know you wouldn't do something like that. It's most likely that, as with what happened at You Show, he saw someone who looked like you and in the heat of the moment thought it _was_ you."

"That's right, now that he mentions it." Mion reasoned. "I'm surprised we forgot about it so quickly."

"And then that brings up another point," Kurai added, much to everyone's confusion.

"What is it, Kurai-kun?" Rena queried.

The _Nekroz_ duelist turned his attention to Naomi. "We've had this happen one other time. It was when we met her. At the time, she'd confused me for her brother, whom she'd been separated from." he answered. "Apparently I look just like both of them."

"And then there's one other question I had," Ryuuji directed to his friend. "That _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ … You never had that card in your deck before. I always thought it was strange that the _Nekroz_ set was missing a Level 8, but then how did you obtain it?"

"I… I have no idea." Kurai answered with a shrug. "It just appeared when I dueled Vice Principal Heitmann." He then took out his deck and looked at the top card - _Nekroz of Valkyrus_. "I do know one thing though… All of this started ever since I got it."

"I see…"

"So what now?" Kurogasa crossed his arms. "All this mistaken identity thing is making my head hurt."

"For now, let's just enjoy what little time we have left for lunch break." Mion spoke up. "I think that's enough craziness for one day." Everyone else voiced their agreement as they sat down and continued their casual small-talk and ate their lunch together.

"…" The _Gusta_ Duelist didn't say anything as he turned around to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rika asked.

"I lost my appetite…" He muttered before leaving the school roof. Once he closed the door behind him, he leaned against the wall and banged it with his fist. "Just what _did_ I see? I saw his face and yet…"

"And yet you don't know what to think."

Kurogasa turned to see Kurai walking into the stairwell and closing the door behind him.

"What do _you_ want…?" He asked with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Listen…" Kurai began. "I don't know who or what you saw, but whatever the case, there are already clues to finding out the truth."

"I don't know what to believe anymore." Kurogasa sighed.

"Regardless, we have a lead." Kurai explained as he held up the card for _Nekroz of Valkyrus_. "This card has something to do with everything going on lately, and I have a feeling Naomi's _Spiritual Beast Rider Apelio_ is connected as well. When she summoned it in my duel with her… It was like it was calling out to me and _Valkyrus_."

"How does that even work?" He asked incredulously. "It's weird enough that we've got two look-alikes out there and they're making everyone accuse the wrong people. Including me."

"I'm not sure… You said this guy used Xyz, right?"

"Yeah, _Satellarknight Deltatheros_ , I think it was called."

"Ritual, Fusion, and now Xyz…" Kurai muttered to himself.

"And if Synchro's next, I'm gonna rip my hair off from all the confusion." Kurogasa grumbled.

"Everything's still not clear yet, but I know this much - something about these cards we have is connected to those that share the same face." Kurai mused. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this one way or another." And with that, the Ritual user walked down the stairs and out of sight, leaving Kurogasa alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 _ **Xyz Cancel  
**_ _ **Instant Magic Card  
**_ Target 1 Xyz Monster on the field; return that target to the Extra Deck, then, if all of the Monsters that were used to Xyz Summon that Monster are in your Cemetery, you can Special Summon all of them.

 _(The above card was created by me. All creative rights go to me.)_


	9. Scale 8

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 8**

 **No Card Is Useless! Synchro User "Ryugu Rena"**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai, Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, and Furude Rika. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

Akaba Reiji sat in his office at the top of the Leo Corp. building, the late afternoon sunlight pouring in through the large window behind his desk. The _D/D_ duelist sat there contemplating to himself about the events that had transpired at the You Show Duel School, and in particular his interactions with Sakaki Yuya. He turned to face the window pane behind him and held up a pair of cards in front of his face - _D/D Magical Savant Galilei_ and _D/D Magical Savant Kepler_. Hearing the door to his office slide open behind him, Reiji turned in his chair towards the entrance, finding Nakajima standing there with his normal serious, business-like expression.

"How are things coming along with the new Pendulum cards?" Reiji inquired.

"Well maybe if a certain _someone_ didn't try to test them early, they'd be done by now," Nakajima pointed out.

"I was simply curious about Sakaki Yuya and his connection to Pendulum Summoning. Nothing more." Reiji said plainly.

"Anyways… We managed to make new Pendulum cards based on the data that was gathered during your duel." Nakajima continued, stepping forward up to the desk and placing a deck of cards in front of Reiji. "There are some normal cards in here, but ultimately the Pendulum cards here are the center of these cards." The suited man then took out several more cards and placed them alongside the others. "And these are for you, sir." Reiji took the cards and nodded approvingly.

"With luck, these new Pendulum cards will work much better than the prototypes." he mused out loud.

"Ah, and by the way…" Nakajima added as he turned to leave. "There's someone here to see you." As the older man walked out, the dark green-haired young man stepped inside in his place.

"Minazuki-san." Reiji greeted his friend.

"A little birdie told me that people here at LDS have been disappearing." Minazuki Akio spoke up.

"You heard right." Reiji replied.

"And I think I know who the culprit is." Akio added. "…Kurogami Kurai."

"Now isn't that interesting…" Reiji nodded. "It just so happens that just yesterday we detected another abnormally high Ritual signal… And its point of origin was the Summoners Duel School."

"Another one?" Akio questioned. "But Ritual isn't nearly as powerful as the others. How is Kurogami-kun generating such high readings?"

"We're not sure about that yet," Reiji answered. "Though another point of interest is that a certain Sakaki Yuya is also involved in these incidents somehow."

"You're referring to your interactions with him a while back?"

Reiji nodded. "It clearly wasn't Sakaki Yuya that turned them into cards, but he's connected in some fashion." he explained.

"So what do you plan to do? Clearly both he and Kurogami-kun are involved in these incidents somehow. And then there's the fact they both seem to be unique in some way."

"I've already begun to learn more and more about this Pendulum Summon as time goes by." Reiji answered.

"In that case, I should look into the matter of Kurogami-kun," Akio figured. "This could be interesting." And with that, the green-haired young man took his leave, leaving Reiji to his thoughts.

* * *

A week had gone by since the conflict between Kurai and Kurogasa, with everything being settled amongst the group over the last few days. One morning, after Kurai woke up and got ready for school, he made his way downstairs to find Naomi already in the living area.

"Morning," Kurai greeted.

"Morning." was Naomi's reply. The Nekroz duelist noted that she was already prepared to leave, already dressed and her Duel Disk stored in a pouch on her waist. After the two of them made a quick breakfast and ate, they set out to SDS and meet the others. After several minutes, the two of them were walking along with Rena, and Mion. Soon enough the group of four could see Ryuuji up ahead as they got closer to their meeting spot.

Upon seeing the others heading his way, Ryuuji, with a lollipop in his mouth, raised his right arm into the air, "Yo, how're you all doing this fine morning?"

"Yo," Kurai greeted while the others waved back. Ryuuji then looked next to his friend and saw Naomi walking with the group as well.

"Naomi is here too?" Ryuuji asked.

"She's starting at SDS today," Kurai explained. "We had to pass her off as my cousin to avoid raising suspicion."

"Right, that makes sense." Ryuuji replied.

"And seeing as she's already pretty much one of us, it's only fair." Mion added.

"Has she gone through the initiation yet?" Ryuuji wondered.

"No, not yet." Rena answered this time. "But still, it's exciting that we're getting so many new members for our club."

"Yeah. We even got a newbie to join." Mion added with a snicker.

"Really? That Kurogasa guy?" Ryuuji questioned. "I didn't think he'd get in so quickly."

Rena nodded. "After all, most of us are qualified to be honor students." she added before turning to the lone Ritual user of the group. "Especially Kurai-kun, which surprises me that you haven't tried to get on the Honor Roll."

"You know, that's true; Ryuuji and K-chan are among the smartest in the class." Mion pointed out.

"Honestly? I just never thought of it." the _Nekroz_ duelist shrugged. He turned to Rena and grinned to himself. "Though if you want I could always give you some 'private lessons'."

"P-Private… lessons?" Rena repeated as a blush crept onto her face.

"Oh-ho? I'm sure Kurai could teach you quite a bit, Rena-chan," Ryuuji added with a teasing smirk.

"Yeah, I agree with Ryuuji-kun." Mion added and smirked. She leaned in towards Rena's ear and whispered something, prompting the shorter girl to blush heavily before an explosion of steam erupted from her head and Rena proceeded to collapse to the ground, having completely passed out.

Kurai and Ryuuji watched the whole exchange, even turning their attention to the fallen Rena as she passed out, then returned their attention to Mion with blank stares before speaking in unison, "Wow, Mion… You truly _are_ a perverted old man…"

"Damn straight." the _HERO_ duelist fully admitted, as she winked and stuck out her tongue playfully. Meanwhile, Naomi stood off to the side, watching everything happening right in front of her with the weirdest look of confusion on her face.

' _What have I gotten myself into…?'_ she wondered in her thoughts. _'Not even_ he's _this dirty…'_

Looking down at the unconscious Rena, Mion's smirk widened, "Now, for an extra touch…" Kurai, Naomi, and Ryuuji merely watched as Mion knelt down next to Rena's body and started to ruffle her clothes, sliding up one side of her dress and undoing some buttons from the top, trying to make it look like her female friend was being "used" while she was asleep. Once she was done, Mion lightly tapped Rena's cheek. "Alright, time to wake up."

"Hm…?" Rena stirred as Mion continued to poke her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see the others looking down at her. "Mii-chan…?" Then Rena looked down at herself and noticed the state of her uniform, a dark red blush spreading across her cheeks. "W-W-W-Wha?"

Mion flashed a knowing grin as she jumped to her feet and immediately ran as fast as she could, "K-chan did it!"

"Wha- Hey! Wait a minute!" Kurai yelled after his friend before looking back cautiously at Rena, who looked up towards the _Nekroz_ duelist with a look of absolute innocence in her eyes and holding her hand over her mouth.

"K-Kurai-kun… Why…?" Rena asked so innocently.

"T-This is- I can explain!" Kurai looked back in the direction Mion had bolted away, then back to Rena, a look of panic and anger crossing on his face. "DAMN YOU, MIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

* * *

After several minutes spent straightening things out with Rena and getting her to calm down, the group ran to catch up with Mion so they wouldn't be late, eventually making it to SDS. That afternoon, everyone had gone to meet at the school arena for their club meeting.

"So, what should we do today? Any ideas?" Mion spoke up quickly to avoid Kurai saying anything about the events of the morning.

"Rena-san hasn't dueled in a while, so maybe one of us could practice with her?" Satoko suggested.

"I think that's a good idea, but who should I duel? Who?" Rena responded.

"Well Rika-chan, Satoko-chan, and myself haven't really dueled in a while either," Ryuuji pointed out, counting each person with a finger. "Though I was sick for a while, so there's my excuse."

"Satoko and I have been making some changes to our decks lately, so we haven't practiced as much during the club meetings." Rika explained with her usual bright smile.

"Hm… Well in that case, how about you duel, Ryuuji-kun?" Mion asked the candy lover.

Ryuuji shrugged, "Sure, why not? Though honestly, against any of you guys, I feel like I'm at a disadvantage."

"Don't feel bad, Ryuuji-kun." Rena said. "You still have as much experience as the rest of us."

"Well, except for Kurogasa." Satoko snickered to herself.

"Oh gee thanks…" Kurogasa deadpanned with a sweat drop.

"Don't mind Satoko-chan," Mion said. "She's like this with every guy, especially K-chan. You know what they say about kids teasing each other, especially if they're of the opposite gender." Mion grinned in Satoko's direction, who pouted back. "Anyways, why don't we start the duel?" The leader of the club nodded to Principal Narukami, who walked off to head to the control room for the arena. Once he was situated inside, Rena and Ryuuji walked out onto the arena floor and readied their Duel Disks.

"Good luck, Ryuuji-kun!" Rena beamed.

"Same to you, Rena!" Ryuuji called back to his opponent as the two of them put on their Duel Disks.

"Action Field, on!" Principal Narukami called as he pressed a button on the control console, activating the Real Solid Vision system underneath the floor. "Field Magic, _Mr. Sun's Valley_ , activate!" As the system whirred to life, the surroundings of the two duelists changed gradually, until they stood at the bottom of a large canyon, with the sun shining intensely down on the landscape.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Mion began.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Kurai recited.

"They storm through this field!"

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"

"Action..." they said in unison.

"DUEL!"

 **Rena: 4000  
Ryuuji: 4000**

"I'll take the first turn then!" Ryuuji declared as he looked through his hand before picking a card. "I activate the Magic card, _Different Dimension Hangar_! With this, I can select three Level-4 or lower Union Monsters from my deck and remove them from play!" As Ryuuji played his card, he used the Duel DIsk's touch-screen to cycle through his deck and select his three cards, causing the deck to auto-shuffle and stick three cards out, which he pulled out. "I choose _Twilight Knight - Mia_ , _Twilight Knight - Mistral_ , and _Twilight Knight - Subaru_!" As Ryuuji held up his cards, a purple vortex appeared in the sky above him, three robotic hands lowering from the vortex to grab his cards and pull them back up. "Next, I'll summon _Twilight Knight - Tsukasa_!"

" _Twilight Knight_?" Kurogasa wondered.

"Ryuuji's deck is based around Union Monsters." Kurai explained. "And the _Twilight Knight_ deck capitalizes on that mechanic very well. Their Union Effects are much stronger than normal."

As Ryuuji played his next card, the Monster that appeared on his field was a young woman with short silver hair wearing grey robes and a matching hat, a pair of salmon-colored markings on her cheeks as she carried a silver staff with a small red orb floating in its center.

 **Twilight Knight - Tsukasa  
LV 4  
Yami  
Magician/Union/Effect  
ATK [ 1400 ] / DEF 1600**

"And this will activate the effect of my _Different DImension Hangar_! Since I summoned a compatible Monster, I can Special Summon as many of my banished Union Monsters as I desire!" Ryuuji continued. "So I'll summon _Twilight Knight - Subaru_ and _Twilight Knight - Mistral_!"

A pair of lights shot down from the vortex overhead as two Monsters materialized onto the field. The first was a petite young woman with short blue hair wearing a light dress that exposed her midriff and had a pair of small white wings on the back as well as another pair as ornaments in her hair as well as a red mark on her forehead and carried a fairly large ax for her size. The second was another young woman with short pink hair, red eyes, and a distinctive cat tooth as she wore white and blue robes and a matching hat, which had yellow/gold ribbons on either side that flowed down to her ankles and a similar ribbon tied around her waist, while carrying a white staff with a large star-shaped design at the tip.

 **Twilight Knight - Subaru  
LV 4  
Hikari  
Warrior/Union/Effect  
ATK [ 1500 ] / DEF 1300**

 **Twilight Knight - Mistral  
LV  
Hikari  
Magician/Union/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 1100**

"And now I'll activate the effects of both _Subaru_ and _Mistral_ and Union Equip them to _Tsukasa_!" Ryuuji declared as his three Monsters grouped together. "When equipped to a _Twilight Knight_ Monster, _Subaru_ increases the ATK and DEF of the equipped Monster by 400! And since she's equipped to _Tsukasa_ , _Tsukasa_ can't be destroyed in battle!"

 _ **[Twilight Knight - Tsukasa - ATK: 1400-1800 / DEF: 1600-2000]**_

"Only the two? Couldn't he have summoned all three?" Kurogasa questioned.

"Ryuuji-kun's _Twilight Knight_ cards are limited to being able to only have two Union Monsters equipped to themselves at a time, compared to all other Union Monsters who can have any number of them equipped." Mion explained.

"Plus Monsters summoned by _Different Dimension Hangar_ can't attack or be sacrificed," Rika added.

"And then I'll activate _Mistral_ 's Union effect! Once per turn, while equipped to a _Twilight Knight_ Monster, I can add a Magic card from my deck to my hand!" Ryuuji explained as he cycled through his deck again before choosing his desired card, causing his deck to auto-shuffle again and stick a card out which the _Twilight Knight_ duelist took. "I'll add the Instant Magic, _Ani Zot_ , and proceed to play it! SInce I control a Yami-Attribute Monster, I can inflict 800 damage to my opponent!"

Thinking quickly, Rena took off down one end of the canyon and found a card sticking upright from a crack in the rocky ground. She dove to grab it and, looking to see what she got, slid it into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Action Magic, _Acceleration_! This reduces effect damage to zero!" she countered as she gained a sudden burst of speed, managing to avoid the cloud of darkness forming at her feet.

"Figures it wouldn't be so easy to damage you. Turn end!" Ryuuji declared, then immediately took off to search for an Action Card with his three Monsters following close behind.

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Rena called as she began her turn, putting her hand at six. "I activate the Magic Card, _Tuning_! This lets me add one _Synchron_ Tuner Monster from my Deck to my hand, as long as I send the top card of my deck to the Cemetery afterwards." Like Ryuuji, Rena used the touch-screen of her Duel Disk to search through her deck until she found the card she desired, causing her deck to auto-shuffle and stick out a card at the top, which Rena took and revealed to the others. "I'll add _Junk Synchron_ to my hand and send the top card of my deck to the Cemetery." The Synchro user then took the top card and slid it into the Cemetery, revealing it to be _Bolt Hedgehog_.

"I summon _Synchron Carrier_!" Rena said as she slapped another card onto her Duel Disk, calling forth a small orange and yellow robotic creature that resembled a human, yet had a more squared and rigid shape to it.

 **Synchron Carrier  
LV 2  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 0 ] / DEF 1000**

"And now I activate its effect!" Rena continued. "I can Normal Summon another _Synchron_ Monster during my turn! I summon the Tuner Monster, _Junk Synchron_!" Hopping onto a field from a portal in the ground was another small orange robot, though this one was shorter than _Synchron Carrier_ and had a tan color to its main body, with orange metal plates attached to its chest, forearms, and another pair of plates acting as metal boots. On the robot's head was an orange pot-like object, and over its large, comically-round eyes was a pair of brown goggles.

 **Junk Synchron  
LV 3  
Yami  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 500**

"And next is _Junk Synchron's_ Monster Effect!" Rena added. "When Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from the Cemetery with its effects negated! I Special Summon _Bolt Hedgehog_!" Appearing on the field next to its comrades was a small, brown-furred hedgehog with metal bolts sticking out from its back in place of its quills, hence the name.

 **Bolt Hedgehog  
LV 2  
Chi  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 800 / DEF [ 800 ]**

"That's one huge combo she's pulling off…" Kurogasa commented.

"Of course. The _Synchron_ deck is focused on making combos using primarily Level 3 or lower Monsters," Mion pointed out. "Though Rena's in particular is a combination of three different archetypes; _Synchron_ , _Junk_ , and _Warrior_."

"Since I Special Summoned a Monster from the Cemetery, I can Special Summon _Doppel Warrior_ from my hand!" Rena went on as another Monster appeared on her field, this one being a dark-haired man in dark clothing and carrying a strange-looking model of a gun.

 **Doppel Warrior  
LV 2  
Yami  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 800 ] / DEF 800**

"And next I activate the Magic Card, _One for One_! This allows me to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck by discarding a Monster from my hand!" she explained as she discarded a Monster from her hand - _Level Eater_ \- before shifting through her deck once again and choosing the card she wanted. "I choose to Special Summon the Tuner Monster, _Jet Synchron_!" Appearing next on Rena's field was a small, anthropomorphic machine that resembled the turbine of a jet with a determined face on the front.

 **Jet Synchron  
LV 1  
Hono  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 500 / DEF [ 0 ]**

"I'm tuning my Level 2 _Synchron Carrier_ and Level 2 _Junk Synchron_!" Rena announced as her two Monsters rose into the air, with _Junk Synchron_ transforming into a set of three gates while _Synchron Carrier_ broke apart into two white stars. The stars that were once the orange robot lined up within the tunnel the gates formed, causing a column of white light to spear through them and strike the ground.

 _ **"Pieces of trash come together to form a new treasure! Synchro Summon! Level 5! Come! Junk Warrior!"**_

Emerging from the light was a tall, mechanical warrior clad in purplish-blue armor with beige trimmings along the edges. A set of thrusters were attached to the warrior's upper back while a set of small, sleek glider wings protruded from the tops of his shoulders. The warrior got into a fighting stance and punched the air once with its brass knuckle-covered fists.

 **Junk Warrior  
LV 5  
Yami  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2300 ] / DEF 1300**

" _Junk Warrior's_ Monster Effect!" Rena announced. "When Synchro Summoned, its ATK increases by the total ATK of all Level 2 or lower Monsters on my field! **Power of Fellows!** "

"And with _Bolt Hedgehog_ and _Doppel Warrior_ on the field, that's a total of…!" Kurogasa noticed as _Junk Warrior's_ body was outlined by a white aura from the power he received from his comrades.

 _ **[Junk Warrior - ATK: 2300-3100-3900-4400]**_

"And next I tune Level 2 _Doppel Warrior_ , Level 2 _Bolt Hedgehog_ , and Level 1 _Jet Synchron_!" Rena announced as her other three Monsters underwent the same process as before, resulting in a column of white light striking the ground.

 _ **"Dreams come together to clear a path through the azure sky! Synchro Summon! Level 5! Soar! Jet Warrior!"**_

Flying down onto the field as breakneck speeds was a tall, mechanical warrior clad in black metal and sporting many features reminiscent of a fighter jet, including a set of wings and turbines protruding from its shoulders.

 **Jet Warrior  
LV 5  
Hono  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2100 ] / DEF 1200**

"And next, the effect of _Doppel Warrior_ activates!" Rena went on. "Since it was used as Synchro Material, I can Special Summon two _Doppel Tokens_ in Attack mode." On cue, a pair of holographic copies of the dark-garbed Monster appeared on the field, each of them holding the same firearm as the original.

 **Doppel Token** (x2)  
 **LV 1  
Yami  
Warrior/Token  
ATK [ 400 ] / DEF 400**

"Battle! _Junk Warrior_ attacks _Twilight Knight - Tsukasa_! **Scrap Fist!** " Rena declared as her Monster charged forward with its arm outstretched, its fist igniting with raw power.

As Ryuuji ran and looked around, he caught sight of a card embedded in the rock wall from the corner of his eye. " _Subaru_!" As if knowing what her controller needed, the ax-wielding woman swung her weapon, at which point Ryuuji jumped and landed on the flat side of the blade, allowing _Subaru_ to throw him up to the card and grab it. "Action Magic, _Evasion_!" As Ryuuji played his Action Card, _Tsukasa_ generated a barrier with her staff. "WIth this I'll target your _Junk Warrior_ and negate its attack!" _Junk Warrior_ 's fist collided with _Tsukasa_ 's barrier only to be repelled as _Mistral_ used her magic to aide Ryuuji in landing gently on the ground.

"Then _Jet Warrior_ will attack _Tsukasa_ as well!" Rena added as her other Synchro Monster flew forward in incredible speeds, a fiery aura covering its body as it flew into the air and looped back down towards the female Magician-Type Monster.

" _Tsukasa_ cannot be destroyed by battle as long as _Subaru_ is equipped," Ryuuji reminded as _Tsukasa_ was knocked back by the force of _Jet Warrior_ 's attack, yet she remained alive and simply stood back up.

 **Rena: 4000  
Ryuuji: 4000-3700**

"Tan endo." Rena concluded finally.

Everyone looked on, amazed at the fact that not only did Rena Synchro Summon twice in one turn, but she had also amassed enough raw power to finish the duel in an instant if her attacks had all gone through.

"She made good use with a lot of her cards." Kurogasa said.

"Rena's always held to the notion that nothing in the world is useless, so she always makes sure to do something with every card she has," Kurai pointed out.

"If only I can do something about my _Gusta_ …" Kurogasa muttered. "Not that I'm saying they're useless, but… my win-loss record isn't something to be proud of."

"Well so far you've only dueled Kurai-san, and that sort of matchup won't ever be good." Rika pointed out. "The _Nekroz_ deck just so happens to have a large advantage against Extra Deck-based strategies."

"I guess…" Kurogasa muttered again.

"Ore no tan!" Ryuuji called out as he drew his sixth card. "I activate _Mistral_ 's Union effect to add a Magic card from my deck to my hand!" Once again, Ryuuji cycled through his deck via his Duel DIsk's touch-screen and selected his desired card, causing the deck to auto-shuffle again before sticking out the card for Ryuuji to take. "Next, I'll use _Mistral_ 's Union effect to Special Summon her back to the field!" On command, the equipped female Magician stepped away from _Tsukasa_ and _Subaru_ to take her place back onto the field. "And then I'll activate my Field Magic, _Holy Ground - Hulle Granz Cathedral_!" As Ryuuji inserted his card into his Duel Disk, the Action Field started to change. Both duelists were no longer in the heated canyon, but were now within an old, gothic-styled church with rows of pews on either side of them. Behind Rena was the cathedral's entrance while behind Ryuuji was an empty stone pedestal separated by a short iron fence. "As long as _Hulle Granz Cathedral_ is active, its effects will activate depending on the number of _Twilight Knight_ Monsters on my field! With at least one, all of my _Twilight Knight_ s gain 800 ATK and DEF!"

 _ **[Twilight Knight - Tsukasa - ATK: 1800-2600 / DEF: 2000-2800]**_

 _ **[Twilight Knight - Mistral - ATK: 1300-2100 / DEF: 1100-1900]**_

"Next, since I control at least two _Twilight Knight_ Monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _Twilight Knight_ from my deck through _Hulle Granz Cathedral_!" Ryuuji continued as he searched through his deck and added his desired card to his hand. "I summon _Twilight Knight - Natsume_!"

Appearing next on Ryuuji's field was a young woman with short green hair and wearing a blue one-piece outfit. In her hands she held a pair of oddly designed daggers with a spiral pattern to them.

 **Twilight Knight - Natsume**  
 **LV 1  
Kaze  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 600-1400 ] / DEF 200-1000**

"And now I'll Tribute both _Mistral_ and _Natsume_!" Ryuuji continued as his two Monsters disappeared from the field. "To Advance Summon _Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame_!"

A column of light shot down onto Ryuuji's field as the next Monster to appear was a young man wearing orangish-red clothes and a large hat with matching colors that covered his blue hair. He also wore a pair of short brown gloves and a textured shirt with the sleeves rolled up covered by a small orange vest with a white scarf. He had a pair of red, triangular-shaped markings on his cheeks and wore thick brown belts around his sleeves, waist and legs as his pant legs had strange, yellow markings running down them. His weapons of choice were a pair of thick-bladed shortswords.

 **Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame  
LV 8  
Hono  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2500-3300 ] / DEF 2000-2800**

"Alright! Ryuuji-san got out his best Monster!" Satoko cheered and pumped her fist upon seeing the orange-garbed Monster.

"One of them, anyway. He has another one in his deck," Mion pointed out.

"Think we'll finally get to see them both on the field at the same time?" Rika wondered.

"Who knows." Kurai shrugged.

"Since I've summoned a compatible Monster, I'll Special Summon my banished _Twilight Knight - Mia_ with the effect of _Different Dimension Hangar_!" Ryuuji continued as another light fell from the portal in the sky, which soon closed as the corresponding Magic card shattered.

The Monster that appeared was a female, anthropomorphic cat with purple fur and long, rabbit-like ears and a long tail wearing green armor as she carried a simple longsword in her right hand.

 **Twilight Knight - Mia  
LV 4  
Yami  
Beast-Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 1800-2600 ] / DEF 1200-2000**

"And then I'll activate _Mia_ 's effect to equip her to _Kite_!" Ryuuji commanded, to which the feline Monster partnered up with the male Warrior. "Next, I'll activate _Mia_ 's Union effect! Once per turn, while equipped to a _Twilight Knight_ Monster, I can take control of one Monster my opponent controls until the End Phase! And I'll choose your _Jet Warrior_!"

"Oh no!" Rena gasped. She hurriedly ran through the large cathedral, looking for an Action Card. Not having to search long, she found one sitting right in front of the large double doors that led inside. She slid and grabbed the card, immediately slapping it into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Action Magic, _Battle Lock_! Now your Monsters can't attack this turn!"

Ryuuji couldn't help but smirk to himself as _Mia_ 's golden eyes glowed and _Jet Warrior_ found itself compelled to move to Ryuuji's side of the field.

"I'll activate _Kite_ 's Monster effect! By returning a card in my hand to my deck, I can reduce the ATK and DEF of a Monster my opponent controls to 0!" Ryuuji declared as he put one card from his hand into his deck and then pointed at _Junk Warrior_. "Go! **Data Drain!** "

 _Kite_ responded by gripping his shortswords and charged across the field, striking the Synchro Monster with a flurry of slashes before jumping back as a crystal bracelet appeared around his right wrist. _Kite_ then took aim at _Junk Warrior_ and fired a stream of data from the bracelet, striking _Junk Warrior_ and draining it of its strength.

 _ **[Junk Warrior - ATK: 4400-0 / DEF: 1300-0]**_

"I'll then activate the Magic card, _Duel_ , to let us both draw until we have six cards!" Ryuuji explained as both he and Rena proceeded to draw their cards, then Ryuuji pushed two of his new cards into his Duel Disk, causing two reversed cards to momentarily appear in front of him. "I'll end my turn with two cards face-down!" With that declaration, _Jet Warrior_ returned to Rena's side of the field. Once again, everyone in the observation room could only watch, completely flabbergasted, as they realized that Ryuuji was also entirely capable of ending the duel on his first turn of attacking, just like Rena had.

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Rena called as she began her turn. She then took a card from her hand and discarded it. "By discarding a card, I'm allowed to Special Summon the Tuner Monster, _Quick Synchron_ from my hand!" After discarding her card, a new Monster appeared on Rena's field; another mechanical Monster made of scrap parts and themed after a cowboy, complete with a brown leather hat and a pair of old, worn-down flintlock pistols in each metallic hand.

 **Quick Synchron  
LV 5  
Kaze  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
ATK 700 / DEF [ 1400 ]**

"And next I tune my Level 1 _Doppel Tokens_ and Level 5 _Quick Synchron_!" Rena announced as her Monsters transformed into a set of gates and stars, lining up perfectly and being consumed by a column of light.

 _ **"Ambitions come together to evoke new feelings! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Come! Nitro Warrior!"**_

Appearing on the field next was a tall, muscular, green-skinned warrior with gunmetal grey armor on its body and a pair of white horns curving up from its head. On its' back was a strange object that resembled a massive jet thruster, as if it were a natural part of the warrior's body.

 **Nitro Warrior  
LV 7  
Hono  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 1800**

"And next I'm activating the effect of the _Level Eater_ in my Cemetery!" Rena declared. "By reducing the Level of a Level 5 or higher Monster oh my field by one, I can Special Summon _Level Eater_ from the Cemetery! I choose to target _Junk Warrior_!" A small insect suddenly appeared on _Junk Warrior's_ chest before falling off and rolling onto the field. The insect itself resembled a ladybug, but on its reddish-orange back was a large yellow star.

 _ **[Junk Warrior - LV 5-4]**_

 **Level Eater  
LV 1  
Yami  
Insect/Effect  
ATK 600 / DEF [ 0 ]**

"And next I summon the Tuner Monster, _Junk Synchron_!" Rena continued as she summoned another copy of the orange Tuner.

 **Junk Synchron  
LV 3  
Yami  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 500**

"I'm tuning Level 4 _Junk Warrior_ and Level 3 _Junk Synchron_!" Rena announced as her Monsters once more underwent their normal Synchro Summon process, causing a column of white light to spear down into the cathedral floor.

 _ **"Scraps of metal come together to pierce the sky with an echoing arrow! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Show yourself! Junk Archer!"**_

Appearing on the field in a flash of light was a tall, sleek figure made of orange and white metal plating, making him resemble _Junk Synchron_ , though only slightly. The new Monster's shoulders ended in pointed orange metal pauldrons and his right eye was fitted with a telescopic lens. Fitted onto his left arm, in place of the wrist, was a metallic green longbow.

 **Junk Archer  
LV 7  
Chi  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2300 ] / DEF 2000**

"I activate _Junk Archer's_ Monster Effect!" Rena declared as her new Synchro Monster loaded an arrow into its arm bow. "Once per turn, I can target a Monster my opponent controls and banish it until the end of this turn!" The Synchro user then pointed at Kite. "I choose to banish _Kite_! **Dimension Shoot!** " Taking careful aim with aid from its telescopic eye, _Junk Archer_ let go of the arrow and let it fly. Light gathered around the projectile before striking _Kite_ in the chest, blasting him back and making him fade into nothingness. At the same time, _Mia_ , surprised at her companion's disappearance, shattered into pixelated fragments, no longer having a target to be equipped to.

"Next I activate this! The Instant Magic, _Cyclone_! With it, I'll destroy _Hulle Granz Cathedral_!" Rena continued as she played the Magic Card, causing a wild cyclone to whip up within the cathedral itself. Soon enough, the scenery had faded and returned back to the scorching valley the two duelists had started the duel in.

 _ **[Twilight Knight - Tsukasa - ATK: 2200-1800 / DEF: 2800-2000]**_

" _Junk Archer_ attacks _Twilight Knight - Tsukasa_!" Rena announced as once more, the _Junk_ Monster loaded an arrow into its bow. " **Scrap Arrow!** " _Junk Archer_ then fired the arrow after taking careful aim, sending the projectile shooting towards the female Magician-Type Monster.

"Reverse card, open!" Ryuuji quickly countered as one of his set cards rose. " _Ranki Lei_! When my opponent declares an attack when I control a _Twilight Knight_ Monster, I can change that Monster's attack to a Monster my opponent controls with the lowest ATK!" Rena gasped and could only watch as the projectile fired from _Junk Archer's_ bow suddenly stopped mid-flight and redirected itself, now pointing at _Jet Warrior_. The arrow shot forward and pierced the anthropomorphic jet through the chest, causing it to explode into nothingness.

 **Rena: 4000-3800  
Ryuuji: 3700**

" _Nitro Warrior_ attacks _Twilight Knight - Tsukasa_!" Rena ordered. "And now _Nitro Warrior's_ Monster Effect activates! Since I activated a Magic Card this turn, _Nitro Warrior_ gains 1000 ATK during this next battle! **Dynamite Impact!** " On cue, a fiery aura flared around the muscular warrior as its power increased.

 _ **[Nitro Warrior - ATK: 2800-3800]**_

"Attack! **Dynamite Knuckle!** " Rena declared as a green aura concentrated itself around _Nitro Warrior's_ fists the moment it began charging at _Tsukasa_.

"Due to _Twilight Knight - Subaru's_ Union Effect, _Tsukasa_ cannot be destroyed by battle!" Ryuuji reminded as the female magician resisted the oncoming attack with the help of her companion, the sheer force simply knocking her backwards and skidding across the ground.

 **Rena: 3800  
Ryuuji: 3700-1700**

"Tan endo." Rena concluded. "During the End Phase, _Nitro Warrior's_ ATK returns to normal, also, _Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame_ returns to your field." As _Nitro Warrior's_ aura died down, _Kite_ materialized back into existence alongside his friends.

"Man, Rena has Ryuuji on the ropes now." Kurogasa commented.

"Don't underestimate Ryuuji." Kurai replied. "He's capable of more than you think."

"Ore no tan!" Ryuuji called out as he drew his next card. "I activate _Subaru_ 's Union effect to Special Summon her back to the field!" In response, _Subaru_ and _Tsukasa_ parted, resulting in a loss of strength for the Magician.

 _ **[Twilight Knight - Tsukasa - ATK: 1800-1400 / DEF: 2000-1600]**_

"Now I'll release _Subaru_ and _Tsukasa_!" Ryuuji continued as the two Monsters disappeared from the field. "To Advance Summon _Twilight Knight - BlackRose_!"

Appearing next on Ryuuji's field was a young woman with dark skin and short pink hair, similar-colored markings adorning her skin as she wore a fairly revealing set of reddish-violet armor. Despite her frame, her weapon of choice was a massive broadsword with a golden hilt and dark blue blade.

 **Twilight Knight - BlackRose  
LV 7  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1200**

"I'm guessing that's his other ace?" Kurogasa asked.

"No, this is the most common combination Ryuuji's deck aims for," Mion answered. "His secondary ace Monster is something else entirely."

"I activate _Kite's_ Monster effect!" Ryuuji commanded as he pushed a card from his hand back into his deck. "By returning a card in my hand back to my deck, I can reduce the ATK and DEF of your _Nitro Warrior_ to 0!" Just as with _Junk Warrior_ before, _Kite_ dashed across the field and slashed at _Nitro Warrior_ before jumping back, materializing the crystal bracelet around his wrist and firing streams of data at the stronger Synchro Monster.

 _ **[Nitro Warrior - ATK: 2800-0 / DEF: 1800-0]**_

" _Kite_ , attack _Nitro Warrior_!" Ryuuji commanded. " **Tri-Flame-Edge!** "

 _Kite_ stood up straight and brought his pair of weapon up in front of him before swinging them back down to his sides as the blades ignited in a brilliant blue flame. The male Warrior then charged across the field at the weakened _Nitro Warrior_ and brought his weapons back up as he rushed past, creating a large, misshapen triangle made of blue flames that destroyed _Nitro Warrior_ before _Kite_ leapt back to Ryuuji's side of the field.

 **Rena: 3800-1300  
Ryuuji: 1700**

" _BlackRose_ , attack _Junk Archer_!" Ryuuji commanded. " **Calamity!** "

Swinging her giant sword to her side, _BlackRose_ charged across the field towards the remaining Synchro Monster before leaping at _Junk Archer_ , though it could have appeared that she was being tossed around by her own weapon and the Synchro Monster was soon cleaved in twain and destroyed before the swordswoman returned to Ryuuji's side of the field.

 **Rena: 1300-1100  
Ryuuji: 1700**

"Ouch… just like that?" Kurogasa cringed.

"Oh no, Rena-san might lose." Rika mused. "Once Ryuuji-san gets _Kite_ and _BlackRose_ onto the field at the same time, there's almost nobody that can push past it."

"Now I'll activate the effect of _BlackRose_ and equip her to _Kite_!" Ryuuji announced as his two Monsters paired up. "And then I'll activate _BlackRose_ 's Union effect! Once per turn, I can destroy one of my opponent's Monsters! **Meteor Strike!** " In response, _Kite_ dropped to one knee and lowered his hands, to which _BlackRose_ placed a foot and _Kite_ threw his female companion into the air as hard as he could. _BlackRose_ backflipped on her way up and, at the highest point, turned her attention back to the ground directly at _Level Eater_ as data panels appeared under her feet, allowing her to propel herself towards the insect at great speed, holding her massive sword in front of herself as she crashed into the bug, destroying it and leaving a sizable crater where she landed. Then _BlackRose_ returned to Ryuuji's side of the field. "And I'll end my turn there!"

' _At this rate, Rena will lose on Ryuuji's next turn…'_ Kurai figured. _'Her only hope is…'_ It was then that Kurai grinned mischievously and stood up. "Hey, Rena!" the Nekroz duelist called out to his friend.

"Hm?" she responded as she turned to look towards the spectators. "What is it, Kurai-kun? What?"

"If you win this duel, I'll show you my fur seal!" Kurai replied, making sure to emphasize 'fur seal'. As her friend's words sank into her mind, Rena herself changed considerably. Her eyes widened in what appeared to be surprise, her normal smile became one of pure joy, and her very being seemed to radiate some sort of ungodly power.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Ryuuji suddenly shouted in shock.

"His what?" Kurogasa asked, blinking.

"What the-?! K-chan! Are you _trying_ to get us all killed?!" Mion demanded in shock and with a hint of terror in her voice. "I know that I left you hanging this morning, but this is a bit extreme!"

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Naomi asked.

"Kurai-san has just awakened a force so powerful, so terrifying, that there's nothing in this world that can _ever_ hope to contain it…" Rika explained.

"Rena's 'I Wanna Take It Home' Mode…" Satoko said with a lifeless look in her eyes.

"Hau~ Hau~ Hau~" Rena panted heavily as her face flushed a beet red at the thought of her prize. "Kurai-kun's fur seal… I wanna take it home~!"

"Uh… is that even healthy for her to turn that red?" Kurogasa asked worriedly.

"For other people, maybe not. But for Rena… it's the sign of the end of days…" Mion shivered.

"Atashi no tan! Draw!" Rena suddenly said as she drew her next card, a look of pure joy on her face. "I activate the Magic Card, _Duel_ , so now we draw until we have six cards in our hands." As both players did as instructed, Rena looked over her refreshed hand, and everyone in the room felt chills running up their spines at the smile she wore. "Next, I activate _Pot of Greed_ to draw two ore cards." After Rena drew two more cards, she plucked yet another one from her hand. "Then I activate the Magic Card, _Tuning_ , to add a _Synchron_ Monster from my Deck to my hand and send the top card of my deck to the Cemetery." Rena excitedly shifted through her deck and chose the card she desired before taking it from the top of the deck. "I add _Junk Synchron_ and send the top card of my deck to the Cemetery!" Rena then took the next card and slid it into the Cemetery slot, which was revealed to be _Massive Warrior_.

"I summon the Tuner Monster, _Junk Synchron_!" Rena continued as she played the third copy of the orange-armored Tuner Monster.

 **Junk Synchron  
LV 3  
Yami  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 500**

" _Junk Synchron_ 's Monster Effect!" Rena announced. "I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my Cemetery! I Special Summon _Massive Warrior_!" Rising up onto the field was a hulking figure made of stone with four arms and carrying a large stone helipad on its shoulders.

 **Massive Warrior  
LV 2  
Chi  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 600 / DEF [ 1200 ]**

"And next, since I Special Summoned a Monster from the Cemetery, I can Special Summon _Doppel Warrior_ from my hand!" Rena added as she summoned another copy of the gun-toting, dark-garbed warrior.

 **Doppel Warrior  
LV 2  
Yami  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 800 ] / DEF 800**

"Since I control a Tuner Monster, I can Special Summon _Boost Warrior_ from my hand!" the Synchro user continued as a tall male figure with spiky, dark red hair and clad in metallic purple armor from the neck down appeared on the field next.

 **Boost Warrior  
LV 1  
Hono  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK [ 300 ] / DEF 200**

Ryuuji's jaw went slack and his lollipop fell from his mouth as he took a step back in fear, recognizing the combo Rena was going to pull, "Oh shit…"

" _Boost Warrior's_ Monster Effect!" Rena announced joyfully. "All Warrior-Type Monsters I control gain 300 ATK!" On cue, a small aure formed around all of Rena's Warriors, strengthening them slightly.

 _ **[Junk Synchron - ATK: 1300-1600]  
[Doppel Warrior - ATK: 800-1100]  
[Massive Warrior - ATK: 600-900]  
[Boost Warrior - ATK: 300-600]**_

"Next, I tune Level 2 _Doppel Warrior_ and Level 3 _Junk Synchron_!" Rena declared as her two Monsters underwent their normal Synchro Summon process.

 _ **"Pieces of trash come together to form a new treasure! Synchro Summon! Level 5! Come! Junk Warrior!"**_

Appearing on the field once more was the purple-armored Warrior Synchro Monster from Rena's first turn.

 **Junk Warrior  
LV 5  
Yami  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2300-2600 ] / DEF 1300**

"Since _Doppel Warrior_ was used as Synchro Material, I can summon two _Doppel Tokens_ ," Rena explained as once more, two holographic copies of _Doppel Warrior_ materialized onto the field.

 **Doppel Token** (x2)  
 **LV 1  
Yami  
Warrior/Token  
ATK [ 400-700 ] / DEF 400**

" _Junk Warrior's_ Monster Effect!" Rena declared. "When Synchro Summoned, it gains the ATK of all Level 2 or lower Monsters I control! **Power of Fellows!** " Like before, _Junk Warrior's_ body drew in the power of his comrades, causing an aura to form around him.

 _ **[Junk Warrior - ATK: 2600-3200-3900-4600-5500]**_

"He's screwed…" Kurogasa muttered.

" _Junk Warrior_ attacks _Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame_!" Rena announced as her Synchro Monster charged forward with its new burst of power. "At this moment, I'm activating the effect of _Rush Warrior_ in my hand! Since a _Warrior_ Synchro Monster I control is battling an opponent's Monster, I can discard _Rush Warrior_ to double my Monster's ATK!" On cue, a Monster in sleek, tan armor dashed onto the field, skimming the ground alongside _Junk Warrior_ , before vanishing once again.

 _ **[Junk Warrior - ATK: 5500-11,000]**_

"Reversed card, open-!" Ryuuji began, only to pause as he saw Rena hold up another card and insert it into her Duel Disk.

"I activate the Instant Magic, _Scrap Fist_!" Rena interrupted. "Since I control _Junk Warrior_ , I can target him and he gains the following effects during this turn! _Junk Warrior_ cannot be destroyed by battle, can inflict piercing damage _and_ double damage to the opponent when it attacks, prevents the opponent from activating cards or effects in response to my attack, and finally, at the end of the battle _Junk Warrior_ will destroy the Monster it battles!"

"It does _that_ much?!" Naomi gasped.

"Remind me not to duel her when she's in that mode." Kurogasa muttered nervously.

"That fur seal will be mine! **SCRAP FIST!** " Rena proclaimed as _Junk Warrior_ flew in towards the now defenseless _Kite_ and _BlackRose_ , who could only look on in shock as the Synchro Monster came barreling in, his fist having ignited with raw power and grown to ten times its normal size. In an instant, _Kite_ was utterly obliterated by _Junk Warrior's_ punch, the sheer force of the attack creating shockwaves powerful enough to send Ryuuji flying back and into the air.

"Damn it, Kurai! I'll get you back for this!" Ryuuji cried out only to be stopped mid-scream as he crashed into the side of a cliff with enough force to make a self-shaped crater.

 **Rena: 1100  
Ryuuji: 1700-0**

The moment Ryuuji's Life Points hit zero, the Action Field faded from existence, leaving them back in the school arena once more. Ryuuji then fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow…" Ryuuji groaned in pain. However, he was quickly forgotten by Rena as she turned off her Duel Disk, gathered her cards, and dashed into the outer room, all in the span of five seconds.

"Fursealfursealfurseal!" Rena said excitedly as she stood in front of Kurai, bouncing up and down excitedly like a kid in a candy store.

"Sure thing," Kurai answered with a grin. "Just follow me." And with that, the Ritual user led his friend out of the room. A few minutes later, they returned, with Rena having a faraway look in her eyes and a blissful smile on her face.

"Kurai… what did you do?" Kurogasa asked.

"Kurai-kun's fur seal… sho kyute…" Rena sighed happily. "Hau~"

"K-chan, you didn't…?" Mion trailed off.

"Hm? What, I just showed her this," Kurai replied casually as he fished around in his pocket before pulling out a small keychain with a brown, furry seal on the end.

"I had to put up with this… for a keychain…" Ryuuji mumbled, his face still planted on the floor of the arena.

"That's it? Just a keychain?" Kurogasa deadpanned.

"Yeah. Rena just loves this thing," Kurai said nonchalantly as Rena took the keychain from his hand and held it to her face and rubbed it with her cheek lovingly. "I always keep it on hand in case I need Rena to go into her 'I Wanna Take It Home' Mode."

"K-chan, you're a monster in your own right…" Mion sighed.

"You know it." Kurai grinned.

"Anyways, shouldn't we have the next duel go on now?" Kurogasa asked.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Kurai replied as he finally managed to take back his seal keychain from Rena, who pouted in response. "But first…" he then gestured with his thumb to the downed Ryuuji. "We should get him out of there." And with that, the group worked to get the Twilight Knight duelist into the other room, where he laid against a wall to recover from the pain. Afterwards, the rest of the group spent the rest of the afternoon practicing against each other and coming up with new Punishment Games to dole out.

* * *

Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame  
FIRE  
Level-8  
Warrior/Union  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 2000  
Effect: This card's name is treated as "Twilight Knight - Kite". You can only control 1 face-up "Twilight Knight - Kite". This card is unaffected by the effects of "Twilight Knight - Shugo". Once per turn, you can return 1 card from your hand to the deck and target 1 Monster your opponent controls; that Monster's ATK and DEF become 0 while it remains on the field. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, once per turn, you can target 1 Monster your opponent controls; that Monster's ATK and DEF become 0 while it remains on the field. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight - BlackRose  
EARTH  
Level-8  
Warrior/Union  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 1200  
Effect: You can only control 1 face-up "Twilight Knight - BlackRose". Once per turn, you can return 1 card from your hand to the deck; destroy 1 Monster your opponent controls. This card cannot attack the turn you use this effect. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, once per turn, you can destroy 1 Monster your opponent controls. If this card is equipped to "Twilight Knight - Kite of the Azure Flame", the equipped Monster is unaffected by card effects your opponent controls. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight – Mia  
Level-4  
DARK  
Beast-Warrior/Union  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1200  
Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, once per turn, you can target 1 Monster your opponent controls; take control of that target until the End Phase. If this card is equipped to "Twilight Knight – Elk", double the original DEF of the equipped Monster. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight – Mistral  
Level-4  
LIGHT  
Spellcaster/Union  
ATK: 1300  
DEF: 1100  
Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, once per turn, you can add 1 Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight – Tsukasa  
Level-4  
DARK  
Spellcaster/Union  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1600  
Effect: If this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, remove that Monster from play. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, if the equipped Monster destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, remove that Monster from play. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight – Subaru  
Level-4  
LIGHT  
Warrior/Union  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1300  
Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, increase the ATK/DEF of the equipped Monster by 400. If this card is equipped to "Twilight Knight – Tsukasa", the equipped Monster cannot be destroyed by battle. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Twilight Knight – Natsume  
Level-2  
Kaze  
Warrior/Union  
ATK: 600  
DEF: 200  
Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to a "Twilight Knight" Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card, OR unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, if the equipped Monster destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the DEF of the destroyed Monster. This card can be equipped with 2 Union Monsters at a time. (If the equipped Monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.)

Holy Ground – Hülle Granz Cathedral  
Field Spell  
Effect: You must have this many "Twilight Knight" cards face-up on the field to activate and resolve these effects:  
• 1+: All face-up "Twilight Knight" Monsters you control gain 800 ATK/DEF  
• 2+: Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 Level-4 or lower "Twilight Knight" Monster from your Deck.  
• 3+: The activation of Magic and Trap cards you control cannot be negated.  
• 4+: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects your opponent controls.  
• 5: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can draw 1 card.

Ani Zot  
Quick-Play Spell  
Effect: This card can only be activated if you control a face-up Yami "Twilight Knight" Monster. Inflict 800 damage to your opponent.

Ranki Lei  
Trap  
Effect: This card can only be activated if you control a face-up "Twilight Knight" Monster when your opponent declares an attack while controlling 2 or more Monsters. The attacking Monster must instead battle your opponent's Monster with the lowest ATK (if there's a tie, you choose).

 _(The above cards were created by the Azure Guardian. All creative rights go to him.)_


	10. Scale 9

**ARC-V Chronicles: Four Dimensions**

 **Scale 9**

 **Seize the Desired Future - Gear Chronicle**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. All rights go to the respective creators. I only own my OC's Kurogami Kurai, Ryugu Rena, Sonozaki Mion, Hojo Satoko, Furude Rika, and Minazuki Akio. Fenikkusumaru owns his OC Kururugi Kurogasa and The Azure Guardian owns his OC Sogabe Ryuuji.**_

* * *

Within the dark alleyways of Maiami City, as the sun began to set for the day and bathe everything in a fiery orange glow, a certain masked young man was currently dueling against an older woman who sported an LDS badge on her formal clothing, signifying she was a teacher. The masked man currently had only one Monster on his field - _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ , while the woman had just been subjected to watching her own Monster - _Splendid Rose_ \- be destroyed by the effect of _Deltatheros_. The woman backed up in alarm, seeing the imposing Monster now staring down her empty field.

" _Stellarknight Deltatheros_! Attack the player directly! **Black Sword Slash!** " the masked duelist commanded. Following the orders of its master, the _Tellarknight_ Xyz Monster tossed its sword into the air just above it, where it spun several times before being caught again by the Warrior-Type. Afterwards, he charged forward at the opposing player, raising his sword over his head before bringing it down in one clean slash, cutting through the air and creating a gust of wind to blow her back into the wall.

 **Masked Duelist: 2100  
LDS Faculty: 1200-0**

The masked duelist silently walked up to the downed faculty member, having already determined that she was of no help, and aimed his Duel Disk at her, unleashing the burst of light that would transform her into a card, despite her protests and pleas. He wordlessly picked up the newly-created card and sighed to himself.

Just then, the _Tellarknight_ duelist heard footsteps approaching from deeper within the alley. He turned to see another tall young man with straight bluish-black hair falling to his chin and light green bangs in the shape of a wing partially tucked under some strands on the left. His face was concealed by dark glasses and a red scarf similar to the one worn by the _Tellarknight_ duelist, and he wore a tattered blue trench coat, belted shut and adorned with belted cuffs. He also sported grey pants and brown shoes.

"Shun…" he greeted the newcomer. He glanced at the card in his hand and threw it at his companion unceremoniously, to which the green-haired young man caught it, looked at it briefly, and pocketed it. "Tch… Are you going to send _that_ to them too?"

"We have to grab their attention somehow." Shun replied.

"And what if it doesn't work?"

"Then we just keep trying."

"But what do you expect to accomplish by doing this?" the _Tellarknight_ user questioned. "We shouldn't be getting people from Standard involved. This isn't their fight."

"Then why did you come along?" Shun asked back.

"Because I know how you get, especially since all this started." the masked duelist sighed. "And I doubt Yuto would be able to keep you in check all by himself."

"Hmph…" Shun scoffed. "Listen, I get how you feel, but right now I need you to just humor me. Can you at least do _that_? We just need to get some answers."

"..." the masked duelist looked towards his companion wordlessly for a few seconds and sighed again. "Fine. If only because I know how important Ruri is to you."

"Alright then," Shun replied. "Good luck out there."

And with that, he walked off, leaving the _Tellarknight_ duelist behind.

* * *

"Kurai, I swear, I'm going to murder you one of these days," Ryuuji grumbled, staring at his best friend while Mion was bandaging up his sore body and Rika gently patted the _Twilight Knight_ duelist on the head to make him feel better.

"Why I have no clue what you mean." Kurai said innocently as he watched his friend get tended to, a coy smirk on his face.

"Now now, K-chan. You know that wasn't exactly fair," Mion chided as she slapped Ryuuji in the back, causing the young man to groan in pain. "I could understand you doing that if Rena was up against me because of what I did, but why did you have to make Ryuuji-kun suffer? You _know_ how Rena gets when she's like that."

"I just… felt like stirring up some chaos." Kurai shrugged.

"Okay, I'm confused, what are you guys talking about?" Kurogasa spoke up.

"It's… best you didn't know." Mion answered, trying to act innocent after the topic was brought up.

"Anyways…" Kurai said. "No hard feelings, Ryuuji?"

Ryuuji averted his gaze from the _Nekroz_ duelist, "You're as bad as Mion sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kurai and Mion asked at the same time.

"You both like to mess with others for your own enjoyment and then I end up on the receiving end of the punchline," Ryuuji explained.

The _Nekroz_ duelist walked up to his friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ryuuji, you know I'd never try and hurt you on purpose, right?" he said with a friendly smile. "After all, you're my Soul Brother."

A smirk spread across the side of Ryuuji's lip as he stifled a laugh, then placed one hand on top of Kurai's as he looked up at his friend with eyes full of longing, "And you're mine." The two of them stared longingly into each other's eyes and they seemed to forget about everything else around them, lost in their own world where only the two of them mattered.

"Wha…?" Rena tilted her head as she watched the scene unfold in front of her, which also caused her face to turn a deep shade of red upon realizing what was going on. Mion covered Rika and Satoko's eyes with her hands and smirked knowingly as she herself watched everything happening, a perverted expression on her face. Naomi, who was standing off to the side, looked thoroughly confused, and Kurogasa looked mildly disturbed.

"What's… What's going on…?" the _Gusta_ duelist asked cautiously. "Why are they…?" He gulped as confusion overwhelmed him. And then he blushed bright red before turning away. "I don't need to see this!"

Everyone then turned their attention to Kurogasa and responded in unison, "Oh grow up."

" _They're_ the ones doing something suggestive!" Kurogasa snapped while flailing his arms about comically.

"Relax, they do this all the time," Mion waved off. "It's how these knuckleheads bond after something like that last duel."

"Oh, but there was that one time-" Rena began.

"We will _never_ speak of that again!" Mion interrupted.

"Huh?" Kurogasa looked confused.

"Let's just say that Mion started something." Kurai smirked. "You see…"

"Nope! No more!" Mion yelled.

"Anyways," Kurogasa rolled his eyes. "Any leads on those look-alike people?"

"Nothing yet." Kurai answered. "This whole thing is still shrouded in mystery."

"But going by what K-chan told us, there might be a pattern." Mion added. "What do you think, Ryuuji-kun?"

"Well Naomi _does_ have Kurai's face and she uses Fusion, and this other guy Kurogasa talked about who also has Kurai's face was using Xyz," Ryuuji noted. "And then there was a similar incident with Yuya and someone with _his_ face was also using Xyz… Maybe it's something to do with the different Summoning Methods?"

"I was thinking that too," Kurai figured. "But my question is… _why_ the Summoning Methods?"

"Maybe these look-alikes specialize in a different Summoning Method?" Kurogasa guessed.

"Kurai-kun uses Ritual, Nao-chan uses Fusion, and there's another one that uses Xyz," Rena said. "Maybe there really _is_ someone else that uses Synchro? Maybe?"

Ryuuji then glanced towards Naomi, "You said you were looking for your brother and he looked like Kurai, correct? What summoning method does he specialize in?"

"He uses Fusion, like me." the _Spiritual Beast_ duelist answered.

"Two Fusions and an Xyz, but no Synchro…" Satoko wondered, then turned her attention to Ryuuji. "That doesn't exactly fit your theory of the different Summoning Methods."

Ryuuji shrugged, "It was just the idea that came to mind considering what we know."

"I still say it's making my head hurt." Kurogasa muttered.

Rika put her finger to her chin in thought before her eyes widened from realization. "Do you think this new Pendulum Summon could have anything to do with this? After all, they appeared out of nowhere with no real explanation why." she figured.

"And these incidents didn't start until shortly after Yuya revealed Pendulum Summon," Rena added.

"And then _Valkyrus_ appeared only a few weeks ago... By then, Yuya had revealed them to the public." Kurai noted. "And I have a strong feeling that my _Valkyrus_ , Naomi's _Apelio_ , and this _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ Kurogasa mentioned are connected somehow."

"Let's not forget Yuya-kun's _Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon_ ," Mion added. "He originally had _Odd-Eyes Dragon_ but now he has this one instead. I doubt he'd have gotten rid of his original ace Monster, so whatever gave rise to these Pendulum cards must have transformed Yuya-kun's Dragon."

"And then Akaba Reiji was oddly interested in Yuya and his Pendulum Cards." Rena pointed out. "He looked like he wanted to find out more about him. Does he know something? Does he?"

"What's all this talk I hear?"

Everyone turned towards the entrance to the observation room, finding someone new standing in the doorway. Standing there was a young man around the same age as the Youth Class students with teal eyes and dark green hair that spiked out at the back, and in twin spikes similar to horns in addition to two ponytails bound with white rings. He wore a black sleeveless trench coat with golden trim, a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his elbows, lavender pants, and simple black runners. His expression was calm and relaxed, and he looked towards the club members with curiosity.

"You're…" Kurai said as he noticed the new figure. "Minazuki-san, right?"

"Minazuki Akio?" Mion asked. "What's he doing here?"

"Minazuki Akio?" Kurogasa repeated. "Who is he?"

"He's the top student at this school." Kurai explained. "He's the best SDS has to offer in terms of ability."

"You flatter me too much, Kurogami-kun." Akio waved off.

"So what brings you here?" He asked.

"I actually came here to talk with you."

"Me? But why?"

"The Honors Society just got finished holding a meeting, and I had made a recommendation for someone to be added to the list." he answered before gesturing to the _Nekroz_ duelist with a nod.

"He wants Kurai-san on the Honor Roll?" Satoko asked with a hint of surprise.

"He _does_ have the grades for it," Rika pointed out. "But even _I_ didn't expect this to happen."

"Uh… mind explaining?" Kurogasa questioned.

"To get on the Honor Roll, you have to have some of the best scores within a given field of study," Mion explained. "Normally the people added to that list are chosen at the beginning of the term, but you can also be recommended by an Honors Student if you meet the criteria. Given that Kurai is not only one of the smartest of us aside from Ryuuji-kun, but is also the top Ritual user at SDS, I had honestly been expecting him to be added at some point." The others nodded in agreement.

"Why _did_ you recommend me?" Kurai asked.

"I've seen your talents and I thought that they were going unnoticed. That's hardly fair, don't you think?" Akio answered. "After all, if you were able to take down the nigh-invincible Vice Principal Heitmann, that alone is an achievement. There is a catch though."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to duel you for myself first before we finalize the process of adding you to the Honor Roll." the green-haired young man replied. "Of course, if you win, then you'll get in no questions asked. Beating me would solidify your spot. Should I win, you won't lose any favor, but we'd just need further analysis of your abilities. Does that sound like a deal?"

"I suppose so." Kurai answered. "If I can only benefit from this, I don't see why not."

"This I gotta see." Kurogasa smirked.

"This is gonna be exciting!" Satoko said. "We finally get to see Minazuki-san duel."

"That's true," Mion mused. "During the three years he's been here, supposedly _nobody_ has seen him duel."

"I wonder what will happen, I wonder." Rena added as Kurai and Akio stepped out to the arena floor.

"What do you want to do about the Action Field?" Kurai asked his opponent.

"I do have something in mind, actually." Akio smiled. "Is that okay with you?" Kurai nodded in confirmation. The Honors Student then looked up towards Principal Narukami in the control room. "Principal, could I make a request for the field?"

"Of course."

"Can you activate the _Darkness_ field?"

"The _Darkness_ field?" the principal repeated. "That's rather old-fashioned. Interesting choice, Minazuki-kun." the older man then pressed a button on the console. "Action Field, on! Field Magic, _Darkness_ , activate!" Within seconds, the entire arena had been shrouded in a thick black mist that was almost impossible to see through, though both duelists were still able to see each other.

"Ah, I see what he's doing." Ryuuji figured. "He wants to give Kurai a challenge by using _Darkness_. This way it'll be very hard for either of them to find Action Cards because of how dark it is."

"Guilty as charged." Akio chuckled. "I thought I would make this interesting. I've heard rumors about Kurogami-kun's abilities in Action Duels and I wanted to test them for myself." He turned his attention back to Kurai. "Now then, shall we get started?" the _Nekroz_ duelist nodded.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Ryuuji began.

"Kicking against the earth and dancing through the air alongside their Monsters!" Mion and Rena recited in unison.

"They storm through this field!" Satoko continued.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" Rika went on.

"Action..." they all said in unison.

"DUEL!"

 **Akio: 4000  
Kurai: 4000**

"Since you issued the challenge, you can go first, Minazuki-san." Kurai offered.

"Why thank you. Watashi no tan," Akio replied as he began the turn. "I start by activating the Permanent Magic, _Gear Chronicle - Time Leap_. Once during each of my turns, I can banish 1 Machine-Type Monster from my field in order to Special Summon a _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monster from my Deck with a different Level than that Monster. However, during the End Phase of the turn, that Monster summoned by this effect is shuffled into the Deck and the Monster I banished will be Special Summoned."

" _Gear Chronicle_?" Kurogasa wondered. " _Zodiac Time Beast_?"

"I don't think I've ever heard of those before." Ryuuji said while pushing up his glasses.

"If Ryuuji-kun hasn't heard of them, then it's unlikely that many have." Mion pointed out. "I guess we have the privilege of seeing these cards in a duel then."

"Next, I summon _Gear Chronicle - Brass-Winged Hawk_." Akio said as he slid another card onto his Duel Disk, calling out a hawk that appeared to be made entirely of brass clockwork pieces, with gears making up the bulk of its main body.

 **Gear Chronicle - Brass-Winged Hawk  
LV 2  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1000 ] / DEF 0**

"Because my _Brass-Winged Hawk_ was Normal Summoned, its effect activates, letting me add one _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monster from my Deck to my hand." Akio explained as he used his Duel Disk's touch screen to scroll through the Deck before choosing the card he wanted, causing a card to stick out from the top after shuffling. "I choose to add _Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit_." He then put the chosen card into his hand. "I also activate the effect of _Gear Chronicle - Time Leap_. I banish _Gear Chronicle - Brass-Winged Hawk_ …" the mechanical hawk vanished in a brief flash of light before a violet-colored portal opened in the ground, with an odd emblem circling around it. "…to Special Summon _Gear Chronicle - Distance-Running Horse_ from my Deck."

Emerging from the portal in the ground was another creature made entirely of clockwork parts; a fully grown horse composed of steampunk-style gears, and a pair of mechanical wings on its back.

 **Gear Chronicle - Distance-Running Horse  
LV 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 0**

"And with that, I Set a card and move to my End Phase." Akio concluded. "And as I do so, the effect of _Gear Chronicle - Time Leap_ will shuffle my _Distance-Running Horse_ back into the Deck and Special Summon _Brass-Winged Hawk_." With that, the gear horse vanished within a vortex appearing above its head, while a similar one gave rise to the mechanical hawk once again. Akio then revealed another card in his hand. "As a Monster was shuffled into the Deck, I'm allowed to Special Summon _Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit_ from my hand." Appearing onto the field next to Akio's Monster was a small rabbit made of brass parts and gears, with an old-fashioned clock making up the majority of its torso.

 **Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit  
LV 3  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1200 ] / DEF 1200**

"And from there, my turn ends."

"That's an odd move," Mion commented.

"He summoned a Monster from the Deck only to send it back almost immediately." Rena added. "Is this part of his deck's strategy? Is it?"

"How should _we_ know? All of us are seeing his deck for the first time." Kurogasa shrugged.

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called as he began his turn. "I activate the Ritual Magic, _Nekroz Mirror_! Using this, I'm allowed to Tribute the Monsters from my hand or field, or banish them from the Cemetery!" Kurai took a single card from his hand and discarded it. "I offer _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_ as Tribute! Due to his effect, _Schritt_ can be used to fulfill the entire requirement of any Ritual Summon when I summon a _Nekroz_ Monster!"

As the ceremonial mirror appeared above Kurai, a total of seven white motes of light began to orbit around it before entering the reflective surface.

" _ **Sorceress with the might of the dragon! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 7! Nekroz of Gungnir!"**_

As the mirror shattered apart, creating a flash of light that blanketed the field, Kurai's signature sorceress wearing dragon-themed armor descended onto the field.

 **Nekroz of Gungnir  
LV 7  
WATER  
Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2500-2700 ] / DEF 1700-1900**

"Eh? Its ATK and DEF increased?" Kurogasa commented.

"That's the effect of the _Darkness_ Field Magic." Ryuuji commented. "It increases the ATK and DEF of all Demon and Magician-Type Monsters by 200, but _lowers_ the ATK and DEF of all Angel-Type Monsters by the same amount."

"I didn't realize that Action Fields could have other effects…" Kurogasa replied in surprise.

"Only specific Action Fields based around older Field Magics have this benefit." Rika explained. "I wonder if Minazuki-san accounted that into his choice of the Action Field."

"I activate _Nekroz of Gungnir's_ effect!" Kurai announced as he discarded a card. "By discarding _Nekroz Intercept_ , I target and then destroy your _Brass-Winged Hawk_! **Dragon Puncture!** " On cue, magic built up in the lance _Gungnir_ carried before she spun it over her head and pointed it towards the metallic hawk. She let the built-up power release itself from her weapon, sending a bolt of magic at Akio's Monster and destroying it in the process.

"Nekroz of Gungnir attacks _Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit_!" Kurai ordered. " **Dragonic Mage Burst!** " Once more the sorceress gathered up energy in her weapon, which gathered at the tip, and shot forward seconds later in the shape of a spearhead, aimed for the defenseless rabbit.

"Trap Card, activate!" Akio countered as his Set card rose. " _Gear Chronicle - Guardian Circle_! When a _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monster I control is being attacked, I can activate this card and discard 1 Monster from my hand to have my battling Monster gain its ATK during this battle only." Akio plucked a card from his hand and discarded it after revealing it to the others. "I'm discarding _Gear Chronicle - Summit Crest Wolf_ to have _Stomach Clock Rabbit_ gain 1500 ATK!" On cue, a mechanical wolf made of clockwork parts dashed onto the field and stood in front of the metallic rabbit, as if guarding it.

 _ **[Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit: ATK 1200-2700]**_

 _Summit Crest Wolf_ and _Stomach Clock Rabbit_ both charged forward right at _Gungnir's_ oncoming attack, a whitish aura flaring around it. As Monster and attack clashed, an explosion kicked up at the meeting point and engulfed both Monsters, leaving nothing behind.

" _Gear Chronicle - Guardian Circle_ can be placed face-down again instead of going to the Cemetery after its effect resolves." Akio explained as his Trap simply placed itself back down instead of vanishing altogether.

"Tan endo." Kurai finished before he darted off to the side, looking around carefully for signs of an Action Card.

"Watashi no tan! Draw!" Akio called as he began his turn. "Kurogami-kun, that was good work earlier. Despite what happened, you Ritual Summoned like it was nothing." He turned up the corners of his mouth slightly. "Now I'll show you my skill. Now that I see what you can do, I won't hold back any further… I activate the Magic Card, _Duel_! This lets us draw until we hold six cards."

As both players did what the card instructed, Akio took another card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Magic Card, _Gear Chronicle - Generation Stride_! Using this, I Fusion Summon a Machine-Type Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!" The Honors Student took another two cards from his hand. "I'm fusing these two Monsters from my hand! _Gear Chronicle - Lucky Pot Dracokid_ and _Gear Chronicle - Iron-Fanged Hound_!" After sliding the two Monsters into his Cemetery slot, the same two Monsters appeared on the field, taking the form of a small, mechanical dragon with brass gears melded into its body and a brass-colored wolf with broken-off gear pieces protruding from its body and green glowing circuitry lines running along its form. Both Monsters then vanished into a vortex above the field before a column of light came down and covered Akio's side.

" _ **Young dragon giving support to the desperate! Hound that dashes outside the boundaries of time! Together you shall blaze a path, and make the whole world tremble! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon!"**_

Emerging from the light as it dissolved away was a massive draconic Monster colored in brass and violet, and made entirely of metal. Steampunk-styled mechanical parts comprised its entire body, while gears and gear fragments were present in several places. One such gear, larger than the others, floated behind its back, while several, smaller gears, made of a pair of makeshift wings. The Monster sat cross-legged while holding a large staff made of the same metallic parts it contained.

 **Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 2100**

"Fusion Summon?" Mion questioned. "His specialty is Fusions?"

" _Gear Chronicle - Lucky Pot Dracokid's_ Monster Effect!" Akio announced. "When used as Material for a Chi Machine-Type Monster, that Monster gains 800 ATK!" _Chronos Command Dragon_ glowed faintly as it powered up.

 _ **[Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon: ATK 2900-3700]**_

" _Chronos Command Dragon's_ Monster Effect activates!" the Honors Student continued. "When Fusion Summoned, I'm allowed to Special Summon a Machine-Type Monster from my hand!" He then took yet another card from his hand and played it. "I Special Summon _Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle_!" Rising up onto Akio's field next was a large tortoise made of brass machinery with what appeared to be a small clock tower on its back in place of a shell.

 **Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle  
LV 5  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1700 / DEF [ 2200 ]**

"Next, I target my _Great Carapace Turtle_ and negate its effects!" the _Gear Chronicle_ duelist added. "By doing so, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster, _Gear Chronicle - Gunner Gear Dracokid_ from my hand!" At the same time, another smallish, white dragon-like creature hopped onto the field. The Monster sported brass steampunk armor themed around the use of gears, with two large gear-shaped plates fitted onto its arms to use as shields. In one hand the Monster also carried a blaster of some sort.

 **Gear Chronicle - Gunner Gear Dracokid  
LV 3  
EARTH  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
ATK [ 1300 ] / DEF 600**

"A Tuner Monster? Does his deck also use Synchros? Does it?" Rena asked in bewilderment.

"I'm tuning Level 5 _Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle_ and Level 3 _Gear Chronicle - Gunner Gear Dracokid_!" Akio announced as the small draconic Monster transformed into a set of three gates while the brass turtle broke apart into five white stars. Those same stars lined up within the gates that were once _Gunner Gear Dracokid_ before a column of light speared down through everything.

" _ **Immortal power! Light that shines on my fate! Tear apart the darkness! Synchro Summon! Level 8! The fierce wings of light, Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix!"**_

Descending onto the field was a large Monster, almost as large as _Chronos Command Dragon_ , made entirely of brass-colored metal and shaped like a phoenix, with gears floating behind its back and wings, and another broken gear serving as a crest on top of the bird's head. It spread out its wings to their full length, revealing their violet tips.

 **Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Synchro/Effect  
ATK [ 2600 ] / DEF 2100**

"Next, I summon _Gear Chronicle - Distance-Running Horse_!" Akio continued as he played yet another card, bringing back the mechanical horse-like Monster from his first turn.

 **Gear Chronicle - Distance-Running Horse  
LV 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 1900 ] / DEF 0**

"Then I activate its effect!" Akio said as a vortex opened up in the ground. "When this card is summoned, I can Special Summon one _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monster from my Cemetery and reduce its Level by 1! Return! _Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle_!" Rising back up onto the field from within the cortex was the hulking gear turtle once again.

 **Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle  
LV 5-4  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1700 / DEF [ 2200 ]**

"Two Level 4 Monsters…" Rika noted before her eyes widened. "That would mean…!"

"Using my Level 4 _Great Carapace Turtle_ and _Distance-Running Horse_ , I Overlay!" Akio declared as his Monsters transformed into streams of copper-colored mist that rose into the air and flew into a vortex above the field with lightning crackling from within as both Monsters entered.

" _ **Burning sky, trembling ground! Crush all reason! Show me the realization of my vision! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long!"**_

Once more, descending onto the field, alongside Akio's other massive Monsters, was a Chinese dragon made entirely out of brass and other types of metals, with gears playing a major role into its motif like all of Akio's other Monsters thus far. The dragon sported multiple, tiny arms, but the ones at the forefront each held a glowing sphere made of fiery orange energy, making them appear as fireballs.

 **Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long  
Rank 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Xyz/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 2000**

"An Xyz?!" Rika and Satoko gasped in unison, both surprised.

"He uses all three methods as well?" Ryuuji questioned in shock, eyes widened. If he had a lollipop in his mouth, it surely would have dropped out.

"No way! He's like that Reiji guy!" Kurogasa gawked.

"While _Metapulsar Huang Long_ has Overlay Units, all other _Gear Chronicle_ and _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monsters I control gain 500 ATK." Akio stated as faint auras rose around his other Monsters.

 _ **[Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon: ATK 3700-4200]  
[Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix: ATK 2600-3100]**_

"But with Minazuki-san's Monsters so strong, Kurai-kun won't be able to defeat them…" Rena noted with worry for her friend.

"He only has one Monster that stands a chance against that level of strength right now." Ryuuji added. "But the question is, will he be able to summon it?"

" _Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long_! Attack the player directly!" Akio commanded. Just then, the glowing spheres held by the massive Chinese dragon began to glow brighter and brighter, until finally large lasers were unleashed from within each of them and cut their way through the ground as they made their way towards Kurai. Thinking quickly, Kurai grabbed a card from his hand.

"I activate _Nekroz of Valkyrus'_ Monster Effect!" Kurai countered.

"Its Monster Effect?" Mion repeated. "From the hand?"

"What does this effect do?" Satoko wondered.

"Each of Kurai-san's _Nekroz_ Monsters have an additional effect that can be used while in the hand," Rika mused. "Come to think of it, so far we haven't seen what _Valkyrus_ can do while in Kurai-san's hand until now."

"Since a Monster my opponent controls is attacking, I can discard this card and banish another _Nekroz_ card from my Cemetery!" Kurai explained as he discarded _Valkyrus_ and pocketed the _Nekroz Mirror_ in his Cemetery. "By doing so, I can negate that attack and then end this Battle Phase! **Necro Barrier!** " On cue, Kurai's new signature Monster suddenly appeared on the field in a flash, waving his staff in front of himself and Kurai to create a barrier around them that blocked Akio's Monster's attack completely. Once the onslaught had ceased, the barrier fizzled away, as did _Valkyrus_.

"Talk about cutting it close." Kurogasa sighed in relief.

"That effect is actually pretty useful." Ryuuji noted. "It's good for saving yourself if your opponent has a really strong Monster on their field or if you don't have any Monsters on yours. It surprisingly makes up for some of the _Nekroz_ deck's weaknesses."

"How so?" Kurogasa asked.

"The _Nekroz_ deck suffers from only being able to summon a few large Monsters at one time. Or at least that's what I've noticed." the _Twilight Knight_ duelist explained. "And if those Monsters were to go away, then Kurai is left wide open."

"I see… So this is the other power of your new ace." Akio nodded to himself. "I move to Main Phase 2 and activate the effect of _Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long_. By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can add one _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monster from my Deck to my hand." After a few seconds of scrolling through the deck, Akio took a card from the top and revealed it to everyone else. "I add _Gear Chronicle - Withdrawn Raven_. And with that, I end my turn."

"K-chan barely skated by that one…" Mion commented while crossing her arms.

"I dunno if he can win this one." Satoko admitted.

"Boku no tan! Draw!" Kurai called as he drew his sixth card. He glanced at it and his eyes widened. _'It's here!'_ Kurai then held up a card in his hand for everyone to see. "I activate the effect of _Nekroz of Unicore_ in my hand! If I discard this card, I can add one _Nekroz_ card from my Cemetery back to my hand!" Kurai then reached into his Cemetery and pulled out his desired card, revealing it to everyone. "I choose… _Nekroz of Valkyrus_!"

"Is he going to summon it? Or does he plan to use it to stop more attacks?" Rena wondered.

"I activate the Ritual Magic, _Nekroz Mirror_!" Kurai announced, placing the card into his Duel Disk. "Using this, I banish _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_ from my Cemetery and use his effect to fulfill the entire requirement for this Ritual Summon!" Much like before, the ceremonial mirror formed over Kurai's head and a total of eight spheres of light orbited the object before entering, showing the reflection of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ before the mirror shattered, flooding the area with azure light.

" _ **Ruler of ancient magic! With the inherited arts, at this moment, appear before me and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Reincarnate! Level 8! Nekroz of Valkyrus!"**_

As the light once more subsided, standing there in opposition to Akio's three Monsters was Kurai's new ace Monster.

 **Nekroz of Valkyrus  
LV 8  
WATER  
Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2900-3100 ] / DEF 1700-1900**

"Now what's he gonna do with it?" Kurogasa asked.

" _Nekroz of Valkyrus'_ Monster Effect!" Kurai declared as he held up two cards in his hand and discarded them. "I offer these two Monsters in my hand as Tributes in order to draw two cards! **Necro Reinforce!** " After drawing his next two cards, Kurai turned up the corners of his mouth. "The effects of the Monsters I just Tributed now activate! When _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ is Tributed, I can add one Magician-Type _Nekroz_ Monster from my Deck to my hand!" Kurai quickly sorted through his deck list and took out a card. "I add another _Nekroz of Unicore_. And next! The effect of _Dance Princess of the Nekroz_ lets me add one banished _Nekroz_ card to my hand. I choose _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_!" Kurai then added his pocketed card back to his hand.

"He's-!" Rena realized.

"What is it?" Kurogasa queried.

"He's constantly cycling back _Schritt_ in order to use it for Ritual Summons repeatedly," Naomi spoke up.

"You mean like recycling his cards?" Kurogasa questioned.

" _Schritt, Caster of the Nekroz_ has an effect that lets it fulfill the entire requirement for a Ritual Summon that summons a single Monster." Naomi explained. "Kurai is using other cards to put it back into his hand so he can keep using that effect whenever he Ritual Summons."

"Continuing on, I activate the Ritual Magic, _Nekroz Kaleidoscope_!" Kurai announced as he held out another card from his hand - the one which he had drawn at the start of the turn. "Using this, I can send one Monster from my Extra Deck to the Cemetery…" On cue, the Extra Deck slot on Kurai's Duel Disk opened up and a card slid out, which the _Nekroz_ duelist took and slid into his Cemetery.

"Oh ho~, Kurai's using his _Kaleidoscope_ Ritual card?" Ryuuji mused with a smirk on his face.

"I send _Gao, Protector Beast of the Sacred Tree_ to the Cemetery!" Kurai explained as a large, lion-like Monster with a bright red mane suddenly blinked into existence on the field. "And now, I'm allowed to Ritual Summon multiple _Nekroz_ Monsters from my hand whose Levels total to 10!"

"Wait, he can summon _multiple_ Ritual Monsters at the same time with that card?!" Kurogasa questioned in shock. " _And_ he uses an Extra Deck Monster as the cost?! I thought that his deck was meant to counter Extra Deck Monsters."

"That's very true," Mion explained. "But keep in mind that K-chan is a Skill Duelist like the rest of us, he spent a long time since coming to this school learning new and creative ways to use his cards. This is one of the results."

"Kurai-kun has developed multiple special styles of Ritual Summoning." Rena added. "One of them was the Necroid Ritual you saw before, where he can Ritual Summon from the Cemetery as well as the hand."

"With what he's been able to accomplish, it's not surprising Kurai-san rose to the top spot in the Ritual courses so quickly." Rika complimented. On the field, a large, crystalline structure had materialized above Kurai, and as _Gao_ seemingly was absorbed into the odd crystal, multiple reflections of the beast could be seen on the glassy surface as an azure aura outlined the structure.

" _ **Twin dragons with the power to banish impure light! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Kaleido Ritual! Emerge!"**_

In an instant, the crystalline object had shattered away completely, flooding Kurai's field with bluish light that faded away seconds after it had appeared. This soon revealed two copies of the same Monster - _Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz_ wearing white and gold armor modeled after _Ally of Justice - Catastor_.

 **Nekroz of Catastor** (x2) **  
LV 5  
WATER  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2200 ] / DEF 1200**

"Level 5! _Nekroz of Catastor_!"

"There it is - his Kaleido Ritual Summon." Mion mused, her voice hinting that she was impressed. "This is K-chan's go-to Ritual Method that he developed."

" _Nekroz of Catastor_ attacks _Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long_!" Kurai announced as one of his armored Dragons dashed forward.

"Eh?! Why is he doing that? Akio's Monster is stronger!" Kurogasa questioned.

"Did you hit your head?" Satoko asked the older boy. "You already know what _Catastor_ does."

"At this time, the effect of _Nekroz of Catastor_ activates! As a _Nekroz_ Monster is battling a Monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it's instantly destroyed!" Kurai added as the _Nekroz_ Monster cut through the mechanical dragon using its armored claws, destroying the Monster with no issues whatsoever. At the same time, the rest of Akio's Monsters were weakened slightly due to the absence of the Xyz Monster.

 _ **[Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon: ATK 4200-3700]  
[Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix: ATK 3100-2600]**_

"Alright! He has this!" Satoko smirked confidently at seeing her friend start his counterattack.

"Now for the second attack! _Nekroz of Catastor_ attacks _Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon_!" Kurai continued as the second Dragon rushed ahead and leapt up at the massive Monster. "And just like before, because a _Nekroz_ Monster is attacking an Extra Deck Monster, that opposing Monster is immediately destroyed!" Once again, _Catastor_ cut through the metallic dragon with no problems, ending its time on the field.

" _Chronos Command Dragon's_ final Monster Effect!" the _Gear Chronicle_ duelist interrupted as he placed his fingers over the top two cards of his deck and pulled them out in one swift motion. "When this Monster is destroyed and sent to the Cemetery, I'm allowed to draw two cards!"

"Alright then! The third attack is coming in! _Nekroz of Valkyrus_ , attack _Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix_!" Kurai ordered as his signature Monster raised its staff above its head. " **Blue Destruction!** " At the utterance of the command, a large blue glyph formed in the air above the field, lighting up the darkness for only a few moments as it fired down a large beam of bluish magic that whizzed through the air towards its target, hitting and annihilating it.

 **Akio: 4000-3500  
Kurai: 4000**

"He most likely chose not to activate the effect of _Catastor_ again because he was able to destroy _Metallica Phoenix_ regardless." Naomi figured.

"He may not be able to defeat Minazuki-san this turn, but he's almost guaranteed to win on his next turn if the last attack goes through." Rena added, noting that _Nekroz of Gungnir_ had yet to attack.

' _That's true, but…'_ Naomi thought to herself as she let her eyes drift to the cards in Akio's hand. _'That card he added on the last turn with his Xyz Monster's effect… Something about that is bothering me.'_

"And finally, _Nekroz of Gungnir_ attacks the player directly!" Kurai declared as magic began to build up in the lance of his other ace Monster. " **Dragonic Mage Burst!** " _Gungnir_ then thrust her lance forward, letting the power built up within surge forward in a spearheaded beam aimed right at Akio.

"I won't let you!" Akio countered as he revealed a card in his hand. "I activate the effect of _Gear Chronicle - Withdrawn Raven_ from my hand! When my opponent's Monster declares an attack, _Withdrawn Raven_ can be Special Summoned from my hand in order to negate that attack!" On cue, a small, mechanical raven made of brass clockwork and gears swooped down onto the field and flew in front of Akio before folding its wings in front of it, creating a greenish barrier that completely blocked _Gungnir's_ magic.

"And he was close to getting a big hit in too…" Kurogasa said in disappointment.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't make this easy on me, Minazuki-san." Kurai laughed. "This has been pretty fun so far. I wasn't expecting you to have mastered all the Summoning Methods."

"You're right, this has been fun," Akio agreed. "Kurogami-kun, remember when I said before that I was done holding back?" The _Gear Chronicle_ user smirked as he drew his next card. "I might have lied. Just a little."

"Then come at me with everything you have now." Kurai challenged.

"Very well." Akio nodded. "I activate the Magic Card, _Treasure Cards from the Heavens_! This allows both of us to replenish our hands back to six cards." After both players drew their cards, the Honors Student took a second card from his hand and activated it. "I also play _Pot of Greed_ to draw two more cards." After drawing his additional cards, the Honors Student took a pair of cards from his hand and held them out for all to see. "I, using the Scale 2 _Zodiac Time Beast Chronoclaw Monkey_ , and the Scale 9 _Zodiac Time Beast Chronodoze Sheep_ …"

"No way… is this…?" Kurai muttered in surprise.

"... Set the Pendulum Scale!" Akio declared as he slapped the two cards on either side of his Duel Disk, causing two pillars of bluish light to form on either side of him while two Monsters rose up within them.

One was a humanoid Monster resembling a monkey, made of brass and silver metal parts, with wild bluish-white hair, and sporting hands tipped in claws made of bright green light. The other Monster was a white lamb clad in pink and brass armor that continued the gear motif of Akio's Monsters, with brass rings adorned with green clock faces fitted on each of its hooves, and its horns resembling a set of twisted gears.

"Using this, I'm allowed to summon Monsters between Levels 3 and 8 all at once!" Akio explained as a large portal opened up above the field in between the Honors Student's Pendulum Scales.

 _ **"The Pendulum opens the way to the future, revealing the world I truly desire! Pendulum Summon! Come to me, my Monsters!"**_

Out of the portal came three masses of light that slammed down onto the field in front of Akio and gave way to a trio of new Monsters. The first was a small, purplish-red mechanical Monster resembling a pig that stood on its hind legs, with jet thrusters fitted onto its back and gear-shaped shields decorated with clear gems attached to its arms.

" _Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary_!"

 **Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary  
LV 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 1700 ] / DEF 1300  
Pendulum Scale - 9**

The second Monster was a bipedal, mechanical tiger colored in deep red and black with gold highlights. Its body crackled with crimson lightning as it stood firm on the field.

"Lead this world to the perfect future! _Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger_!"

 **Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 2300  
Pendulum Scale - 10**

And finally, the third Monster to appear was a mechanical creature resembling a dragon colored in deep blue and white with gold highlights. Large, elongated jet thrusters took the place of its wings and a red scarf with gold trimming was tied around its neck and hung down to its midsection.

"Lead me to the future! Open a new world! _Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon_!"

 **Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 2300  
Pendulum Scale - 1**

"He has Pendulum cards, too?!" Mion gasped in surprise.

"But how _does_ he have them?" Satoko questioned.

"I'm not sure," Rena replied. "But do you think Kurai-kun will be able to fight against this? None of us have ever faced Pendulum Monsters before."

" _Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary's_ Monster Effect!" Akio announced. "When Pendulum Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 _Gear Chronicle_ Monster from my Cemetery. Return! _Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon_!" Appearing on the field once more was the massive staff-wielding dragon, staring down at Kurai intensely.

 **Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Fusion/Effect  
ATK [ 2900 ] / DEF 2100**

"And next is the Magic Card, _Gear Chronicle - Superior Ride_!" Akio added as he slid another card into his Duel Disk. "With this, I send _Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary_ to the Graveyard…" Four purplish gear-shaped emblems, all exactly identical, appeared around the Pendulum Monster's body and began rotating rapidly until _Chronodash Peccary_ was consumed in a whitish light. "... to Special Summon _Gear Chronicle - Smithereen Colossus_ from my hand!" In place of the gear-themed animal was a tall, sleek giant of a Monster made of brass and violet-colored metal, with gears protruding from several parts of its body.

 **Gear Chronicle - Smithereen Colossus  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK [ 2500 ] / DEF 1200**

"No way! He's going for overkill!" Kurogasa gasped. "There's no way Kurai can stand up to all that!"

"Kurai-kun…" Rena muttered with worry for her friend.

" _Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger's_ Monster Effect!" Akio went on. "I Tribute _Withdrawn Raven_ and target your _Nekroz of Gungnir_!" Just then, a vortex opened up behind the armored sorceress, slowly pulling her backwards despite how much she tried to resist. "By doing this, I shuffle _Nekroz of Gungnir_ into the Deck, and then you must Special Summon a Monster with the same Attribute or Type, but 2 Levels lower."

"What?!" Kurai gasped as _Nekroz of Gungnir_ finally vanished from the field after the force of the vortex overwhelmed her. "Damn… then I choose to Special Summon _Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz_!" Appearing in place of the sorceress was the draconic warrior, his claw-like weapons at the ready as he glared at the opposing field.

 **Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz  
LV 5  
WATER  
Dragon/Effect  
ATK [ 2000 ] / DEF 1000**

"He can even influence what Monsters are on his opponent's field…!" Naomi managed in her surprise.

"I also activate _Zodiac Time Beast Chronoclaw Monkey's_ Pendulum Effect! And now for the rest of this turn, you can't use Trap Cards when my Monsters attack!"

"Oh no, he has K-chan cornered…" Mion commented.

"Battle! _Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger_ attacks _Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz_!" Akio declared. The bipedal mecha tiger complied by flexing its body and releasing a burst of crimson lightning from within, striking _Exa_ and destroying it.

 **Akio LP: 3500  
Kurai LP: 4000-3200**

"Damn…" Kurai muttered before he took off, looking around carefully to make sure he didn't miss any Action Cards.

" _Gear Chronicle - Smithereen Colossus_ attacks _Nekroz of Catastor_!" Akio continued. The brass giant obeyed, swinging his fist back and charging forward towards one of the armored dragons. He threw his arm forward, his fist glowing with power as he did so, and struck its enemy head-on, causing a small explosion from the power unleashed.

 **Akio LP: 3500  
Kurai LP: 3200-2900**

The resulting explosion alerted Kurai's eyes to an Action Card sitting on the ground to his left. Using the shock wave from the attack to aid him, Kurai dove towards the Action Card and caught it as he rolled to recover himself. "That won't help you! I activate _Gear Chronicle - Smithereen Colossus'_ effect!" Akio interjected. "When it destroys a Monster by battle and it goes to the Cemetery, I can target a monster on your field and shuffle it into the deck! The Monster I choose is… the second _Nekroz of Catastor_ "

"I won't let you! I activate the effect of _Nekroz of Trishula_ in my hand!" Kurai countered as he flipped over one of the cards in his hand.

"What?" Akio responded.

"When my opponent activates a card effect that targets of my _Nekroz_ Monsters, I can discard this card to negate its activation!" Kurai explained as he slid the Ritual Monster into his Cemetery slot, causing a fierce icy wind to kick up in the area, knocking _Smithereen Colossus_ off balance temporarily.

"Very well. Then _Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon_ attacks _Nekroz of Valkyrus_! And when it battles a Level 5 or higher Monster, _Chronojet Dragon_ gains 500 ATK until the end of that battle!" Akio said as his humanoid mecha dragon flew forward, its thrusters igniting behind it.

 _ **[Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon - ATK: 2800-3300]**_

"I activate the Action Card, _Evasion_! I negate the attack!" Kurai countered as he slapped the Action Card he had found previously into his Duel Disk.

"Then I activate a Trap from my hand!" Akio said.

"Eh?! From the hand?" Kurai repeated.

"While I control 2 or more Monsters and one of my _Gear Chronicle_ or _Zodiac Time Beast_ Monsters is attacking, I can activate _Gear Chronicle - Critical Trigger_ from my hand!" the Gear Chronicle duelist explained as he slid a Trap Card into his Duel Disk. "When this is activated, the Monster of my choice gains 500 ATK and the ability to attack twice this turn."

"I see! He's going to use that on _Chronojet Dragon_ so that it can still attack!" Kurogasa realized.

My target is, of course, _Chronojet Dragon_!" Akio declared as his Monster grew slightly stronger just after _Valkyrus_ dodged his attack.

 _ **[Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon - ATK: 3300-2800-3300]**_

" _Chronojet Dragon_ attacks _Valkyrus_ once more! And when he attacks a Level 5 or higher Monster, he gains 500 ATK!" Akio added as his Monster rushed forward again.

 _ **[Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon - ATK: 3300-3800]**_

This time however, _Valkyrus_ was unable to defend himself or evade the attack, and so _Chronojet Dragon's_ diving kick hit its mark, ending _Valkyrus'_ time on the field.

 **Akio LP: 3500  
Kurai LP: 2900-2200**

And finally, _Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon_ attacks _Nekroz of Catastor_!" Akio ordered, to which his larger Fusion Monster simply struck the ground with its staff, causing a pillar of raw power to come slamming down on the armored Dragon-Type Monster, obliterating it instantly.

 **Akio LP: 3500  
Kurai LP: 2200-1300**

"Tan endo." the Honors Student concluded.

"Tch…" Kurai panted quietly after enduring his opponent's onslaught. _'I have no idea how I managed that, but I did... '_ He looked down at his deck in thought. _'This is probably my last turn, so I need to make it count.'_ Placing his hand on the top card of his deck, the Ritual user began his turn. "Boku no tan! Draw!"

The _Nekroz_ duelist looked at what he had drawn and smirked competitively towards Akio.

"Looks like you got something." Akio smirked back.

"I'll start by activating the Ritual Magic, _Nekroz Mirror_!" Kurai said. "With this, I banish the two _Nekroz of Catastor_ that are in my Cemetery…" As he pocketed the two Monsters, their very essences rose up from the ground and flowed into the ceremonial mirror, causing ten white stars to enter its reflective surface.

" _ **Dragon that preludes the end! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 10! Nekroz of Meteo!"**_

However, even as the mirror shattered in a flash of bluish light, there was no new Monster present on the field.

"Wait, what happened?" Kurogasa asked as he looked around in confusion. "He _did_ summon a Monster, right?"

"Oh he did. Just wait for it." Satoko replied, sharing a knowing look with the others. Just then, Kurogasa happened to glance up, and as he did, he saw a very faint gleam up in the dark sky, as if a shooting star were passing by.

But after a few more seconds, the _Gusta_ duelist realized that what he saw was _Exa, Warrior of the Nekroz_ , albeit covered almost entirely, save for his head and limbs, in jagged, blazing volcanic rock. It took only a few more seconds for him to realize with a look of shock that the Monster he was seeing was in fact headed right for them.

 **Nekroz of Meteo  
LV 10  
WATER  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2800 ] / DEF 2000**

"H-Huh?! Wait a minute! That's thing's coming right at us!" Kurogasa panicked. "Shouldn't we be running now?!"

"Alright guys, brace yourselves!" Mion told the others, to which everyone nodded and prepared for impact.

" _Nekroz of Meteo's_ Monster Effect!" Kurai announced, much to Akio's confusion. "When Ritual Summoned, all Monsters on the field are destroyed!"

"What?" Akio gasped in genuine shock as Kurai's new Ritual Monster struck the ground in between them. In an instant, the entire area around them was consumed in a massive, fiery explosion that would have thrown everyone back like ragdolls, had they not braced themselves in preparation for what was to come.

"Also…" Kurai said amidst the spreading flames that lit up the otherwise pitch-black Darkness field. "For each Monster that was destroyed, you take 500 damage!" Akio threw up his arms on instinct to protect him from the holographic flames that felt almost real as they suddenly spread out more violently.

 **Akio LP: 3500-1000  
Kurai LP: 1300**

"Incredible…" Naomi said under her breath. "With just one move he was able to wipe away every last Monster… Was I wrong about him before? Can he _really_ help me find him...?"

"And I'm not done!" Kurai continued as he revealed another card in his hand. "I activate the effect of _Nekroz of Alpha_ from my hand! By discarding him and banishing a Ritual Magic from my Cemetery, I can copy that effect!" After discarding his Ritual Monster, Kurai reached into his Cemetery and took out a Magic Card from among the stack of cards. "I banish _Nekroz Mirror_ to copy its effect! By doing this, I can Ritual Summon a _Nekroz_ Ritual Monster from my hand. I banish _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ from the Cemetery for the Ritual Summon."

Once more, the ceremonial mirror appeared above Kurai's field before taking in the essence of the old sorcerer, resulting in four white stars being absorbed into the mirror itself. Once more, the mirror shattered and let out a flash of bluish light.

" _ **Sorcerer with the might of the beast! With the secret arts, here and now, be resurrected and pass on your power! Ritual Summon! Emerge! Level 4! Nekroz of Unicore!"**_

Appearing on the field as the light subsided was one of Kurai's signature Ritual Monsters, the younger version of _Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz_ , now clad in armor resembling that of the _Demon Roar God Beast Unicore_.

 **Nekroz of Unicore  
LV 4  
WATER  
Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect  
ATK [ 2300 ] / DEF 1000**

"I see…" Akio mused out loud. The corners of his mouth turned up. "Looks like you've beaten me. Come on then, hit me with your best attack."

"Will do." Kurai nodded. " _Nekroz of Unicore_ , attack the player directly!" The armored Monster charged forward at Akio, swinging his weapon once he was clearly within range. In a matter of seconds, the remainder of Akio's Life Points vanished as the Honors Student stumbled back from the strike.

 **Akio LP: 1000-0  
Kurai LP: 1300**

Akio slowly stood up as the holograms vanished from the arena, dusting himself off while chuckling quietly. I see. Now," he said. "This is the extent of your skills… I'm surprised. I was honestly expecting a little less from you. I'm glad to know I was mistaken. I'll be sure to keep this in mind." And with that, the Gear Chronicle duelist turned and began walking towards the exit, waving to the club members as he did so.

"Hey, wait! You're leaving already?" Kurai asked.

"I've got business to take care of before the day is done for me," Akio explained. "Consider yourself on the Honor Roll, Kurogami-kun." He stopped short, as if remembering something. "Ah, that's right. You all are going to compete against another school soon, right? I wish you good luck." And with his business concluded, Akio left the arena without another word.

* * *

"So how did it go?"

Akio looked towards the young man who had asked him that question as he arrived at the platform above Leo Corporation's monitor room. He walked towards Reiji and stopped next to him before answering.

"He's strong. Much stronger than I thought at first." he replied. "Did you keep an eye on the duel like I asked you to?"

"Of course." Reiji answered as he pushed up his glasses. "We got some very strong readings during the course of it."

"Were they from a Ritual Summon?" Akio asked. Reiji nodded.

"And it was from one Monster in particular… the Monster Kurogami-san summoned called _Nekroz of Valkyrus_."

"It was _Valkyrus_ … So that explains it."

"Hm?"

"That card has never shown up in any of Kurogami-kun's duels until recently. I had thought it was strange, but never really thought anything of it. But now…"

"Where are you going with this?"

"I believe there may be more to this than just Academia." Akio said. Reiji simply looked at his friend for a moment before nodding.

"I see. Then we should look into this further." he said as he looked towards the numerous monitors lining the far walls. "While also taking down our common enemy."

"Agreed."

* * *

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Brass-Winged Hawk  
**_ _ **LV 2  
**_ _ **EARTH  
**_ _ **Machine/Effect  
**_ _ **ATK 1000 / DEF 0  
**_ Effect - If this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster from your Deck to your hand. If this card is Special Summoned: You can increase this card's Level by up to 2 until the end of this turn. During either player's turn: You can banish this card; Special Summon 1 Machine-Type Monster from your hand.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Distance-Running Horse  
LV 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1900 / DEF 0**_  
Effect - If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate 1 of these effects. You can only use this effect of "Gear Chronicle - Distance Running Horse" once per turn.  
● Target 1 "Gear Chronicle" Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, but its Level is reduced by 1.  
● Add 1 face-up "Zodiac Time Beast" Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck to your hand.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit  
LV 3  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1200 / DEF 1200**_  
Effect - When a card(s) on the field are shuffled into the Deck, except "Gear Chronicle - Stomach Clock Rabbit", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). After you Special Summon this card this way, you cannot Special Summon Monsters for the rest of this turn, except Machine-Type Monsters. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card attacks: You can shuffle this card and your opponent's battling Monster into the Deck.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Generation Stride  
Normal Spell Card**_  
Fusion Summon 1 Machine-Type Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using Monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Materials. If this card is in your Graveyard: You can shuffle this card and 1 other "Gear Chronicle" card from your Graveyard into the Deck, then draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Gear Chronicle - Generation Stride" once per turn.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Lucky Pot Dracokid  
LV 1  
EARTH  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
ATK 300 / DEF 300**_  
Effect - When a EARTH Machine-Type Monster is Special Summoned to your field: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand), and if you do, you can add 1 "Gear Chronicle" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only Special Summon "Gear Chronicle - Lucky Pot Dracokid(s)" once per turn this way. A Machine-Type Synchro, Fusion, or Xyz Monster that used this card you control as Material gains 800 ATK.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Iron-Fanged Hound  
LV 6  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 2300 / DEF 1500**_  
Effect - When this card is Normal Summoned: You can activate this effect; you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Gear Chronicle" Monsters, also Special Summon up to 2 EARTH Machine-Type Monsters from your Deck, but their effects are negated, also their ATK becomes 0.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Chronos Command Dragon  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Fusion/Effect  
ATK 2900 / DEF 2100  
Materials - 1 "Gear Chronicle" Monster + 1 Machine-Type Monster**_  
Effect - When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Machine-Type Monster from your hand. When this card attacks or is attacked: You can discard 2 cards; shuffle all Spell/Trap Cards on the field into the Deck. (This is a Quick Effect.) If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can draw 2 cards.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle  
LV 5  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 1700 / DEF 2200**_  
Effect - You can Normal Summon this card without Tributing, but its original Level becomes 4. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, while you controlled a "Gear Chronicle" Monster, except "Gear Chronicle - Great Carapace Turtle": You can target 1 Monster your opponent controls; shuffle it into the Deck, then draw 2 cards.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Gunner Gear Dracokid  
LV 3  
EARTH  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
ATK 1300 / DEF 600**_  
Effect - Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can Tribute this card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Gear Chronicle" Monster from your hand or Deck, except "Gear Chronicle - Gunner Gear Dracokid". If this card is in your hand or Graveyard: You can target 1 face-up "Gear Chronicle" Monster you control; you cannot Special Summon Monsters for the rest of this turn, except EARTH Machine-Type Monsters, also negate the targeted Monster's effects, and if you do, Special Summon this card.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Metallica Phoenix  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2600 / DEF 2100  
Materials - 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner EARTH Machine-Type Monsters**_  
Effect - If this card was Synchro Summoned using a "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster as a non-Tuner Synchro Material, this card gains this effect.  
● When this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle: You can send 1 Monster from your Extra Deck to the Graveyard, then Tribute 1 other Monster you control; Special Summon 1 "Gear Chronicle" Monster from your Deck that is 2 Levels higher than the Tributed Monster's Level, but shuffle it into the Deck during the End Phase.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Metapulsar Huang Long  
Rank 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Xyz/Effect  
ATK 2500 / DEF 2000  
Materials - 2 Level 4 Monsters**_  
Effect - When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can target 1 Machine-Type Monster you control; shuffle it into the Deck, then Special Summon 1 Machine-Type Monster from your Deck, whose Level is higher than the targeted Monster. While this card has Xyz Materials, all other "Gear Chronicle" Monsters you control gain 500 ATK. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 "Gear Chronicle" card or "Zodiac Time Beast" Pendulum Monster from your Deck to your hand.

 _ **Zodiac Time Beast Chronoclaw Monkey  
LV 5  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 800  
Pendulum Scale - 2**_ **  
Pendulum Effect :** If you have a "Zodiac Time Beast" card in your other Pendulum Zone: You can declare 1 card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap); this turn, if a "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster you control attacks, your opponent's cards and effects of that type cannot be activated until the end of the Damage Step.  
 **Monster Effect :** If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 "Zodiac Time Beast" Pendulum Monster or 1 "Gear Chronicle" Monster in your Graveyard, except "Zodiac Time Beast Chronoclaw Monkey"; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Zodiac Time Beast Chronoclaw Monkey" once per turn.

 _ **Zodiac Time Beast Chronodoze Sheep  
LV 1  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 500 / DEF 500  
Pendulum Scale - 9**_  
 **Pendulum Effect :** When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Gear Chronicle" card from your Deck to your hand during the End Phase of this turn. During your opponent's turn, when a "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone, and if you do, negate the attack.  
 **Monster Effect :** When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 card from your Pendulum Zone, but for the rest of this turn, you cannot Special Summon Monsters, except Level 5 or higher EARTH Machine-Type Monsters.

 _ **Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary  
LV 4  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 1700 / DEF 1300  
Pendulum Scale - 9**_ **  
Pendulum Effect :** If you have a "Zodiac Time Beast" card in your other Pendulum Zone: You can destroy this card, and if you do, place 1 "Zodiac Time Beast" Pendulum Monster from your Deck in your Pendulum Zone, except "Zodiac Time Beast Chronodash Peccary".  
 **Monster Effect :** When this card is Pendulum Summoned: You can target 1 "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. You can discard this card, then target 1 card in your Pendulum Zone, whose current Pendulum Scale is different from its original Pendulum Scale; its Pendulum Scale becomes its original Pendulum Scale until the end of this turn.

 _ **Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 2800 / DEF 2300  
Pendulum Scale - 1**_  
 **Pendulum Effect :** You cannot Pendulum Summon Monsters, except "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monsters. This effect cannot be negated.  
 **Monster Effect :** If this card attacks a Level 5 or higher Monster, it gains 500 ATK until the end of the Damage Step, also if it attacks a Defense Position Monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. If this card in the Monster Zone or Pendulum Zone is destroyed: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; place it on the bottom of the Deck. You can only use this effect of "Zodiac Time Beast Chronojet Dragon" once per turn.

 _ **Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Pendulum/Effect  
ATK 2800 / DEF 2300  
Pendulum Scale - 10**_  
 **Pendulum Effect :** You cannot Pendulum Summon Monsters, except "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monsters. This effect cannot be negated.  
 **Monster Effect :** During either player's Main Phase: You can Tribute 1 other Monster you control, then target 1 Monster your opponent controls; shuffle it into the Deck, and if you do, your opponent Special Summons 1 Monster from their Deck with the same Type and/or Attribute as the targeted Monster, but is 2 Levels lower. You can only use this effect of "Zodiac Time Beast Chronofang Tiger" once per turn.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Superior Ride  
Normal Spell Card**_  
Target 1 face-up Level 4 or lower Monster you control; send it to the Graveyard, and if you do, Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster from your hand in face-up Attack Position, but it cannot declare an attack this turn. You can only activate 1 "Gear Chronicle - Superior Ride" per turn.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Smithereen Colossus  
LV 8  
EARTH  
Machine/Effect  
ATK 2500 / DEF 1200**_  
Effect - Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can Normal Summon 1 EARTH Machine-Type Monster, in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.) Once per turn, if this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; shuffle it into the Deck.

 _ **Gear Chronicle - Critical Trigger  
Normal Trap Card**_  
If a face-up "Gear Chronicle" or "Zodiac Time Beast" Monster you control attacks or is attacked: Discard 1 card, and if you do, target that Monster; it gains 500 ATK, then it gains these effects until the end of the Battle Phase.  
● It can attack twice during the Battle Phase this turn.  
● If it attacks a Defense Position Monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.  
If you control 2 or more Monsters, you can activate this card from your hand.

 _ **Nekroz of Meteo  
LV 10  
WATER  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
ATK 2800 / DEF 2000**_  
Effect - You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Nekroz" Ritual Spell Card. Must be Ritual Summoned without using any Level 10 Monsters, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. You can discard this card, then target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. When this card is Ritual Summoned: You can destroy all Monsters on the field, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each card destroyed by this effect. Then, if possible, you can target 1 of your banished "Nekroz" Monsters; Special Summon it. You can only use each effect of "Nekroz of Meteo" once per turn.

 _ **Nekroz of Alpha  
LV 9  
WATER  
Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 1100**_  
Effect - You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Nekroz" Ritual Spell Card. Must be Ritual Summoned without using any Level 9 Monsters, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. You can discard this card, then target 1 Ritual Spell Card in your Graveyard; apply that card's effect, then banish it from your Graveyard. You can only use this effect of "Nekroz of Alpha" once per turn. While either player controls a Monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, this card cannot be destroyed by Spell/Trap effects.


End file.
